


All around the world

by Windfighter



Series: 100 SSSS-fics [21]
Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Gen, Sorry Emil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 20:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 26,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15227592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windfighter/pseuds/Windfighter
Summary: It has been ten years since Emil saw his friends and he decides to take a vacation to see them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 100 SSSS-fics challenge, inspired by the prompt "Vacation".  
> It turned a lot longer than I had planned from the beginning, but meh, that happens with most of my stories anyway!
> 
> Also I started this long before we knew how Emil's dreamspace would look so... yeah, he has a field/forest-thing in this one. Don't hate me!

Emil took an extra turn around his apartment, before closing his backpack and pulling it to his back. There was still two hours until the train to Mora would leave, but he didn't see any reason to linger. He locked the door, rushed down the stairs and almost ran into his landlord Ada Johansson, a 55-year old tiny woman.

”In a rush?” she asked, smiling.

”Not really, taking the train to Mora. Don't miss me too much, I'll be back in three months.”

”Another mission?”

”You could call it that”, Emil smiled.

”Good luck then, don't keep them waiting!”

She waved good bye to him and Emil continued through the streets of Östersund. Yes, another mission, that was a way to call it. He pulled at his ponytail. For him, it was his first vacation since he had been made captain. He stopped by the bakery, bought a loaf of bread and made his way to the trainstation. The autumn-breeze felt nice against his face, but since the train was already in he boarded it, found his seat. He hadn't planned the vacation very carefully, but knew what he wanted to do with it. He leaned back in the chair and started eating the bread.

It was ten years since he last saw his first friends, and it was about time to meet them. He had bought the tickets, but he hadn't actually told anyone he would stop by. He probably should have, he mused as he watched the train slowly filling up. Too late now. He pulled a book out of his backpack and started reading. He barely noticed when the train left the station, but obediently offered his ticket when the conductur passed by. The book kept him entertained for the whole trip and a couple of hours later the train pulled to a stop in Mora.

Mora hadn't changed much and he let his mind wander as he walked through the very familiar streets. He had considering booking a hotellroom for the night, but knew Siv and Torbjörn wouldn't mind him stopping by. He stopped outside for a while, looked at the house. He had so many memories connected to that place, but it had still been two years since he had last visited since his work as a captain kept him busy. He knocked the door, heard Torbjörn yell at Siv to open and then he met Siv's eyes. She blinked.

”Emil?”

”Hi Siv.”

”Why didn't you...” She pulled him into a hug. ”You should have told us you were coming, we would have prepared a nice dinner! How long will you be staying?”

She let him in and he put his backpack next to the door.

”Only until tomorrow, catching an early train to Björköfjärden.”

He took off his shoes, followed her inside.

”Torbjörn is in his study, he'll be out later. He'll be so happy to see you.”

”I guess the chaos-trio isn't home?”

Siv sank down in the couch next to Emil and shook her head.

”Håkan is over in Norway hunting trolls, Sune is training for the cleansers. Anna is staying at a friend's place. You know it's your fault that they're out there, right?”

Emil laughed and scratched the back of his head.

”Yes, I might have influenced them a little, but you can't place all the blame on me.”

”I'm not”, she ruffled his hair a little and he took it out off the pony tail, pulled his fingers through it. Siv smiled. ”You've grown it long.”

”It's easier to keep it out of the way like this, and I don't have to worry about cutting it.”

”When did you stop caring about that?”

Emil shrugged, leaned back.

”How are you doing? Getting anywhere with the vaccine?”

She shook her head, also leaned back.

”So you're a captain? How is it?”

Emil laughed and told her about what he had been up to the last two years, about the training for the new recruits, about trying to organize them out in the field, about long and boring meetings with the other captains. Siv asked him about his girlfriend and he told her they broke up pretty soon after he became captain. There hadn't been time for him to keep a relationship working and she found someone else to keep her warm the nights he didn't come home. They had seperated on good grounds and still talked with each other.

Siv told him about her continued struggle with the vaccine, about how much his cousins had changed during the last years. Håkan was taking his training as a troll hunter very seriously, and had gotten lots of friends in the Norwegian army. Sune had followed Emil's footsteps and joined the cleanser's unit in Mora. Anna had chosen an academic route and was going to move to Iceland in the spring to further improve her language skills. Torbjörn had started talking about putting together a new expedition into the silent world and Emil laughed again.

”I won't volunteer for it this time.”

Torbjörn joined them after an hour and Siv started working on dinner as Emil repeated his news to his uncle. Torbjörn told Emil about his work, he had been promoted just a couple months earlier, but it was still just as boring. The two men joined Siv in the kitchen and Siv and Torbjörn asked Emil about his plans.

”I'll be taking the evening ferry to Finland tomorrow, and then I'll spend a month over there before heading down to Bornholm. Only staying there for a couple of weeks, and then I'll take a ship to Dalsnes. I'm hoping to find a ship to take me to Iceland as well, but I don't count on it and last I heard Reynir had joined the Norwegian army anyway.”

”Meeting the old team?”

Emil nodded.

”It's been ten years, I want to see how they're doing.”

”It sounds like a nice vacation”, Siv said, ”I wish we could follow you.”

”It wouldn't be the same.”

”I understand.”

She smiled at him, tried to persuade him to have a little more food since he had gotten so thin, to which Emil laughed and said he had finally gotten into shape. They offered him to stay in the guestroom during the night, and to follow him to the train the next day. Emil thanked, said he had an errand to the bakery before boarding the train. The train left at 9, so he had to leave pretty early and Siv promised she'd make sure he got up in time.

After dinner they went back into the living room, Emil continued talking about how work was going since that was pretty much the only thing in his life for the moment. He had tried to convince his superiors to let him send in looters before they burned down buildings but had so far been turned down. He could however say that they were starting to warm up to the idea, especially after Emil had done it anyway during his last cleansing mission.

”Disobeying orders? I never would have thought that about you!” Torbjörn said and hit his back. ”You've changed a lot, Emil.”

”I guess”, Emil smiled sadly. ”I'll blame it on Sigrun. At least I led them there myself!”

Emil thought back to that mission. He had chosen the five most level-headed people from his group and led them to the houses. He had told them to only use the guns or explosives in emergencies and stick to the knives if they saw something. He knew none of them had faced off against a troll earlier, so he had made sure to not split the group up. Two trolls had stumbled over the group, Emil had managed to pull the newbies out of the way and incapacitated the trolls. He had gotten a few deep cuts over his leg during the battle, but they had gotten out with lots of objects from the old world. Ten years earlier Emil hadn't cared much about history, but now that was his main reason for doing it. He didn't care about the extra money it could bring, he made more than enough from his salary.

Around eleven they said goodnight, Emil threw himself onto the bed and fell asleep pretty imediately. He dreamt about Lalli, like he had so many times during the years.

”I'll see you soon”, he told Lalli as they leaned against the trees.

Lalli rarely talked in his dreams and Emil worried it was because he had forgotten the other's voice. At Emil's news he looked a bit confused, but still didn't say anything. Emil looked at his friend, tried to remember how he had looked when they first met. During the years Dream-Lalli had slowly changed, as the memories grew more and more distant, and Emil thought he had transferred some of his own quirks onto the other. Both of them had hair reaching halfway to their waists, he was certain Lalli looked less distant now than he had done ten years earlier. His eyes was softer, a smile often played on his lips. Lalli was always dressed in a gray tunic with blue trims and a cape of fur covering his shoulders. Emil never understood why his mind dressed Lalli in those clothes.

”I'll arrive in a couple of days, the ferry leaves tomorrow evening.”

Lalli nodded, still didn't speak. Emil liked these quiet dreams, they were a welcome change from the dreams about trolls and giants hunting him and trying to eat him. After coming back from the Silent world he had spent every night the first year in nightmares and they still often came up ten years later. Sometimes it was the people working for him that got attacked, sometimes he dreamt about the days back in Denmark. Usually when he was out on a cleansing mission he took his sleeping bag and made room for himself as far away from the others as he dared.

A deer looked at them, Lalli's eyes followed it. The Finn always seemed a bit curious about the animals in Emil's dreams and Emil guessed it dated back to the horses in Mora. Emil looked at Lalli, tilted his head.

”Do you think about me as much as I think about you, I wonder...”

Lalli looked at him, nodded slowly. Emil laughed, leaned against the tree again.

”Good thing we'll see each other soon.”

Lalli smiled one of his rare smiles, as if he knew a secret he wouldn't share with anyone. Emil hit his arm lightly.

”Stop looking so pleased with yourself.”

Lalli's smile didn't fade and he leaned back against the tree, closed his eyes. Emil looked at his friend, leaned back himself and closed his eyes, falling asleep again.

 


	2. Chapter 2

”Emil, wake up, breakfast is done.”

Emil blinked, yawned and stretched before he sat up. He thanked Siv and she left the room again to give him space to wake up. He yawned again, scratched his back and pulled his legs over the edge of the bed. He buried his face in his hands, tried to remember his dreams, but they were slowly slipping away. Lalli had been in it, there was a troll somewhere, as well as an explosion and a dotted hen. Emil looked confused, then got out of the bed.

After getting dressed he hurried down to the kitchen, where Siv and Torbjörn already were sitting. He sank down on one of the chairs, Siv offered him a cup of tea and he served himself some porrige. They exchanged the normal morning pleasantries, then ate in silence. After that Emil went back to the guestroom, checked that he still had all the tickets and then went back downstairs. Torbjörn and Siv were already putting on their coats and shoes and Emil hurried up to them, did the same. They walked into the chilly autumn air, looked into the windows of the stores they passed.

”Anna worked here last summer”, Siv said as they passed a bookstore.

Emil peeked through the window.

”Did she like it?”

”It wasn't her dreamjob, she said.”

”What's her dreamjob?”

Siv smiled.

”She doesn't know.”

Emil pulled away from the window and they continued walking.

”There's a book-store in Björköfjärden as well, isn't there?”

”Yes”, Torbjörn said, ”but it has a smaller stock than this one. Biggest bookstore in Scandinavia!”

Emil smiled, but didn't say anything. They reached the bakery and Emil slipped inside, looked through the confectionery. Torbjörn and Siv chatted away with the woman behind the counter while Emil looked at the cookies. After a while he called the woman over.

”Could I have a couple of each?”

”Yes, of course”, she grabbed a box and started filling it with cookies. ”Is there anything else you would like?”

”No thank you, it won't stay fresh the whole way. It's a present for my friends in Finland.”

She put a bow around the box and Emil paid her. They left the bakery again, continued slowly towards the train station. The train was already in when they arrived and Emil said goodbye to Siv and Torbjörn, before finding his place inside it. They waved to him through the window before leaving and Emil took the book out again. He had gotten it a couple of weeks earlier, but hadn't had time to start reading it right away. It was about different types of explosives, comparing what they had today to what was used in the Old World. Emil hoped to learn something to make his work more efficient.

He fell asleep shortly after the train left the station, dreamt about Lalli again.

”Where are you staying?”

Lalli's voice was soft, quiet and Emil looked at him, smiled.

”I don't know yet, I figured I could solve that when I'm there.”

Emil sat up in the grass, Lalli sat down beside him. They sat in silence, looked at the rabbits on the field. A couple of deers looked at them from the trees and Lalli's eyes followed them.

”Animals like you”, he said.

”I guess?” Emil said. ”I like animals, that's why I keep dreaming about them. I dreamt about lynxes a few weeks ago.”

Lalli didn't answer.

”I'm on the train now, the boat will leave in about 8 hours. I'm going to look for a gift for Tuuri while waiting, any suggestions?”

Lalli shook his head and Emil let out a sigh.

”I didn't think you'd have. Dreams can only repeat what you already know, right?”

Lalli didn't move. Emil rolled his thumbs, woke up again. The conductor was shaking him.

”I apologize, mister, but I need to see your ticket.”

Emil smiled at the conductur, assured her it was alright while digging out the ticket from his backpack and handing it to her. She looked at it, nooded and continued through the train. Emil picked up the book from the floor and continued reading, doing his best to not fall asleep again. Three hours later they arrived in Björköfjärden and Emil left the train, happily stretching his legs.

Björköfjärden had gotten larger since he first met the Finns there 10 years earlier. Apartments and stores had been built, mainly souvenir shop, but also grocery stores for the few people living in the area. One of the former sleeping quarters for travellers had been rebuilt into a restaurant and a luxury hotel had appeared near the trainstation. Standing five floors high it was among the tallest buildings in Sweden. Emil had never seen it before. He looked at it for a few minutes before looking at the clock and following the signs to Björköfjärden Town Square.

There was lots of people there, he could hear people talking in Finnish, in Danish and in Norwegian. A few people greeted him when they passed each other in the street, old workmates who had decided to persue a different career after a few years in the cleansers. It was nice to see them, but Emil pulled his sleeves further down whenever someone called his name. He found a bookshop next to the grocery store and went inside. Torbjörn had been right, it was tiny, most of the books were thin and cheaply made so travellers could afford them. Emil walked along the shelves, tried to find something that Tuuri would appreciate. In the back he found some larger and more interesting books, not the regular bestsellers people usually bought. He found a book about etymology, smiled and bought it. Even with a Captain's salary the price was high, but he was certain it would be worth it.

With his errand done he went to the harbour, sat down on the sofa in the waiting room. One good part about Björköfjärden getting larger and more travellers arriving was that they had finally changed the disgusting sofas Emil remembered from last time he had been there and they had hired cleaners to keep sofas and floors clean. He opened his book again, read a little, but after a couple of pages he was disturbed by other passengers starting to talk to him. A lot of them seemed to think he had done this several times before and Emil smiled, told them that there was nothing to worry about. The Baltic Sea had very few sea beasts and the crew was very skilled and knew what they should do in case they did end up getting attacked.

In reality, Emil had no clue. There had been a lot of times during the years when he thought about taking the boat over, but there was always _something_ that got in the way. He hoped badly nothing would go wrong during his travel, but considering how his life had looked the chances for that was pretty slim. He'd face those problems when they came though, after the weeks in the Silent world he had gotten a lot better at not panicking. After having calmed down another ten passengers they opened the gate to let people onboard. Emil waited until the flood of people had calmed down a little, then boarded himself. He found himself a bed, placed his backpack and the two presents on it and then took a walk in the areas passengers were allowed into.

He ended up in the dining hall and grabbed himself a bowl of food. A couple of the other passengers joined him, a Swede and a Finn, and Emil talked with them, happy to get a chance to practice his Finnish. The Finn didn't say much though, but explained to Emil that it wasn't him being impolite, Finns was overall a quiet people. Emil told him about Tuuri and the man nodded.

”I know her. Worked with her. West-Finnish heritage.”

The Finn continued eating and Emil smiled slightly, not really sure what the other had meant. The Swede was much more social and he and Emil chatted away for several hours. After dinner the Swede took out a deck of cards and the three of them started playing, soon joined by a few other passengers. It was after midnight when Emil went back to the bed and fell asleep, this time without dreaming. He woke up again when the large ship stopped and they had to move over to the river boats.

The Swedes and Finns had worked together the last five years to build a real harbour town in Pori. It hosted about 50 people, with a small hostel that could host another 20 people. Emil hadn't been part of the actual cleansing and building, but he had taken part in the planning. It had resulted in many late evenings, lots of sleepless nights, but now that he saw the result he felt happy and a little bit proud. Large areas outside of the small town had been cleansed, Emil had suggested that they should turn it into farms, but the Finns wanted to keep their forests. It didn't matter much, Emil had concluded, as long as they made sure to keep the forests safe. He would have preferred if the forest line was a little bit farther from the town, but he had no say in it.

There wasn't much time to look around in the town, the river boat would leave only one hour after Viking Line made shore. Emil hurried off the ship, saw some of the other passengers disappear among the houses and then he boarded the smaller boat, finding a table to sit at. The Finn from the Viking Line accompanied him, they exchanged a couple of words in Finnish and then Emil continued with his book while the Finn quietly looked out the windows. The windows closed after about an hour and everyone on the ship fell quiet. Emil didn't mind, but after yet another 30 minutes he was getting bored of reading. He had never been very interested in reading, although books that caught his interest could keep him glued to the pages for hours.

He played a little with a coulple kittens he found in a corner if the cafeteria, but was ushered away after ten minutes by the lady in the cafeteria. She pointed to a sign and Emil looked at it. ”Grade A-cats in training.” He let out a sigh and wandered back to the table. The Finn pulled out a deck of card from his pocket and the two of them started playing. It was almost evening when the windows opened up again and Emil pressed against it, looked at the distant lights that was Keuruu. The lights came closer and he pulled his backpack to his back again, grabbed the two gifts from the table and hurried to the deck.

From the deck he could make out a figure standing on the pier and as the boat got closer Emil was able to make out more and more details from it. The figure had long legs, a gray coat with fur among the edges. When the boat got even closer the figure pulled down the hood and a light-gray pony tail danced in the wind. The figure lifted its face from the ground, letting Emil see the sharp chin and the high cheek bones, but what really made him draw a breath was the gray eyes that seemed to glow. The figure caught Emil's eyes and a small smile spread over its lips.

Lalli.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Lalli ran faster than he had ever run before. Not because he was scared, or because he needed to get news to someone, but because he wanted to be done. Something he had waited for was about to happen and he wanted to be ready when it was time. He stopped by the outpost, reported what he had seen. They told him to get back out again, beast activity in the area had been extra high this fall, but he shook his head and ran to the decontamination unit, waited for them to clean him off. Morning was coming, he would be able to get a few hours of sleep before he had to get up. He should probably tell Tuuri as well.

He didn't want to scare the other though. Even after nine years of Lalli visiting the other's dream santuary the Swede still didn't knew he actually talked to Lalli. Lalli wasn't sure he wanted the other to understand. Lalli ran past the farms, hissed at a cat that was too close to his territory and then he took cover in his apartment. The same apartment he had lived in since he joined the military. He crossed his arms over his chest, looked around in it. It was probably too small for him to host Emil, especially since there only was one bed. He bit his lip. Emil would probably need to stay in the civilian quarters then, and that meant it would be harder for them to hang out.

He sank down under his bed, pulled the blanket over himself. It wasn't like he actually  _used_ the bed, Emil could sleep in it if he wanted to. He could at least ask. Lalli frowned slightly. Maybe he couldn't, he hadn't practiced his Swedish since a couple of weeks after they arrived back home after the expedition. There wasn't any need to since he no longer needed to communicate with Sigrun and Emil. He closed his eyes, fell asleep.

The rooster woke him up four hours later, but he felt like he had had enough sleep already. He left the apartment, went to the dining hall. Onni and Tuuri looked confused at him as he approached. He sat down next to Onni, started eating, and Tuuri leaned closer.

”You never eat with the rest of us, what's going on?”

”Is just a nice day.”

”Are you feeling ill?”

Lalli raised an eyebrow, but didn't answer. His cousins looked at him, waited for him to explain, but he didn't. Onni put his spoon down.

”Did you see anything out there?”

”No. The usual. Nothing to worry about.”

He felt his lips twitching slightly and tried to look serious. Tuuri squeed.

”You're  _happy_ . Who is it? I never thought you'd meet someone after...”

She got quiet. Lalli shook his head.

”Haven't met anyone.”

”Oh, but...”

Lalli chewed his bread, looked at the ceiling.

”If I tell, promise not to do anything.”

”Of course!”

He looked at her, then looked away.

”Can't tell you.”

He finished off his food, strutted away again and left the cousins behind. The boat wouldn't come for several hours, he knew that much. He had learned the boat's schedule while working in Pori two years ago. Many mornings when he returned from scouting he would sit on the roof of the harbour building, watch as the Viking Line came to a halt next to it, wondering if he should get on it and follow it back to Sweden. He never did. He wasn't worried about getting lost, but he wouldn't understand anything people said to him and he didn't like that. So he stayed in Finland, did what he was told to and kept away from everyone else.

The forests around Pori had been a lot more dangerous than the ones around Keuruu, because there hadn't been any regular attempts to keep them free from beasts. It had changed now, partly thanks to the Swedes. Lalli knew Emil had been part of it, Emil had talked about it when he thought he was sleeping. Lalli was careful to talk to the Swede in the dreamspace.

Lalli closed his eyes and remembered the first time he had visited the Swede's sanctuary. Emil had been looking worn, scared and in pain, a pain that ran deeper than words could explain. He had watched the Swede slowly got better over the course of a year, had watched him get worse again a couple of years later. That's when Lalli had woken him up for the first time. Five years ago. He hadn't liked doing it, but he knew Emil needed him.  Emil hadn't told him what had happened.

Did he regret his choice? Lalli leaned against a building. He didn't really, even if he knew he had broken a lot of rules. Onni didn't know about it and lately Emil had started waking up by himself in the sanctuary. Lalli closed his eyes, walked through the dream world to see if his friend was asleep, but Emil's sanctuary was empty except from the spirits of animals who had taken their refuge there. He opened his eyes, walked to the dock. His eyes searched the waters, looked at the wall built to keep beasts and trolls out. It would be another four hours until the boat arrived. He should get some more rest, but he knew he wouldn't be able to. For some reason he was feeling excited. It was quite a new experience. He decided to wait on the dock.

He pulled his hood up, crossed his arms over his chest and waited. The sun rose, then sank again, streetlamps lit up and then he heard the large gate open, saw the boat gliding through it. He considered sneaking away, it wasn't too late, but his legs didn't move and then he saw someone coming out on the deck, looking at him. It was too late to leave now. As the boat came closer he pulled his hood down, looked at the other. His blue eyes glowed in the lights on the boat.

Emil.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Emil's legs froze as the boat stopped by the dock. The other passengers passed him, disappeared into Keuruu and Emil finally refound his legs. They shook a little as he made his way down the gangplank. Lalli watched him as he moved, didn't move himself and when Emil's feet reached the dock he stopped.

”Lalli?”

Emil's hand started shaking, he lost his grip of the presents he was carrying. Lalli took three quick steps forward, managed to catch them and Emil's arms pulled Lalli into a hug. The Finn felt less fragile than he remembered and he hugged him a little tighter.

”I missed you.”

Lalli froze at Emil's words and Emil waited for the other to answer, maybe ask where Emil had learned Finnish. It took a minute, then Lalli opened his mouth.

”I...” he started, his Swedish staggering. ”I...”

Emil laughed, pulled away and put his fingers to Lalli's chin, closed the other's mouth. Lalli smiled, returned the packages to Emil, and Emil held the bigger one towards Lalli.

”For you”, he said. ”Don't worry, it's not poison.”

Lalli accepted the gift, blushed a little. Emil looked at his friend, waited for him to open it. A squee cut through the evening.

”EMIL! By the gods, you're  _here_ !”

She ran up to him, threw her arms around him and Emil almost dropped her gift.

”Hi Tuuri”, he answered, sticking to Finnish even though the woman had greeted him in Swedish. Her jaw dropped when she heard him.

”You're talking  _Finnish_ ? When did that happen?”

”I've had some years to practice.”

She turned to Lalli, hit his upper arm.

”You  _knew_ ”, she said. ”You knew he was coming and you didn't tell me!”

Lalli tried looking innocent and Emil laughed.

”He didn't, I haven't told anyone I was coming here”, he held the square gift to Tuuri. ”For you.”

”Oh, Emil, you didn't need to”, she started and unwrapped the gift. ”Eeeeeeeee, Emil, this is... It must have cost you a  _fortune_ . And I don't have anything for you, you should have told us you were coming. Where are you staying? How long will you be here?”

”A month, don't have a place to stay yet.”

”We could have prepared something, why didn't you let us know?”

”I wanted it to be a surprise.”

”But what if we hadn't been here?”

Emil shrugged.

”Then I would just have had to discover Finland on my own.”

Lalli still hadn't opened his gift, just held it close, looking at his cousin and best friend. Emil smiled at him and Lalli lifted a hand, placed it on Emil's cheek.

”You're thinner.”

”I'm in shape, no more baby-fat for me.”

Emil patted his stomach and Lalli tilted his head. Lalli opened his mouth again, then looked away and Emil turned to Tuuri.

”So, any chance of the two of you giving me a quick guide around Keuruu today?”

”Oh, of course!” She grabbed his hand and led him towards the buildings. Lalli followed close behind. They stopped by the dining hall first, then went past the barracks so Lalli and Tuuri could drop of their gifts. Lalli tried sneaking in without letting Emil see his apartment, but Emil followed him before he could close the door.

”Cozy”, he remarked and Lalli blushed, pushed him outside again. When Tuuri opened her door she called inside and a tall man with glasses and short gray hair came to the door. He smiled at Tuuri, and she kissed his cheek before introducing him to Emil.

”This is my partner, Tauno. Tauno, this is Emil, one of the people I told you about.”

Emil and Tauno shook hands, Tuuri asked Tauno if they could host Emil for a couple of weeks, but Emil laughed and declined the offer, not wanting to end up in the middle of a love story.

”Well, you can't stay with Lalli, his house is too small”, Tuuri stated.

”In worst case I'll sleep in the woods”, Emil said. ”I'm a captain, I can fend for myself.”

Lalli pulled at Emil's sleeve and Emil reacted by pulling his arm away from him a little to fast. Lalli frowned when he noticed it and Emil laughed nervously. Lalli gestured outside and Emil smiled.

”Seems like Lalli want to continue. It was great meeting you Tauno, I bet we'll see each other again. You don't need to follow us, Tuuri, we'll see each other tomorrow, okay?”

Tuuri looked slightly hurt, but nodded and gave Emil another hug before he and Lalli left again. The two walked in silence around the wall that seperated the civilian quarters from the military ones. They ended up meeting Onni, Emil exchanged some words with him, and then they continued. Emil didn't press Lalli to talk and Lalli didn't make any move to try. Not until they were almost back at Lalli's place.

”You can stay with me... if you want to.”

”Are you sure?”

Lalli nodded and Emil smiled.

”I'd love to. Just promise me to tell me if it gets too much for you, okay? I don't want you bottling everything up like you did when...” Emil looked away. ”...when we were in Denmark.”

Lalli patted Emil, led him back to his apartment. Emil put his backpack down, sat down on the bed. Lalli went over to the present Emil had gotten him, lifted it and sniffed it. Emil smiled, watched as Lalli untied the bow and opened the box. Lalli's eyes got bigger as he pulled out one of the cookies and nibbled it.

”Lalli-approved?”

Lalli nodded, sank down on the bed. Emil waited as the Finn finished the cookie and then Lalli looked at him.

”Thank you. I missed you too. Your arm...”

Emil pulled at his sleeves.

”It's nothing, can we not talk about that tonight? Tell me what you've been up to.”

”Scouting. Helped in Pori. Not much.”

”Really? Just the same old? No girlfriend, no hanging out with friends?”

Lalli shook his head. Emil leaned back against the wall.

”I had a girlfriend, she was great. We broke up about one and a half year ago though.”

Lalli nodded and Emil raised an eyebrow, causing the Finn to look away.

”You've kept in contact with Torbjörn and Siv or something?”

Lalli shook his head, kept his eyes away from Emil.

”Did you send your spiritanimalthing to spy on me?”

Lalli laughed slightly.

”Luonto. Didn't send it. Too far for me.”

”...Did you get Onni to spy on me?”

Lalli shook his head, bit his lip.

”Talk later.”

”You have work to do?”

”Tonight. Will ask for time off when back.”

Lalli also leaned back, put his hands behind his head. Emil looked at him, smiled.

”It's great seeing you again. You were my first friend you know.”

”Your cousins.”

”That's family, it's a different thing. Sune and Håkan have joined the military now, Anna is moving to Iceland.”

Lalli looked at his watch, sat up again.

”Need to go. I won't be long. You can take the bed.”

”You sure?”

”I never use it.”

Emil nodded, his mind wandering back to the days in Denmark when Lalli mostly slept beneath either his or Tuuri's bed. Lalli changed into his scouting uniform, grabbed his rifle and waved goodbye. Emil found himself a more comfortable position on the bed, searched his backpack for his pyjamas and changed out of his travel clothes. He buried himself under the covers, grabbed his book and read a little before falling asleep. He woke up again six hours later when Lalli returned, greeted him and then both of them fell asleep. Emil rolled over to his stomach, his hand fell down and Lalli moved his hand closer, both unaware about the movements they had just done.

 


	5. Chapter 5

The first week in Finland passed quickly. Emil and Lalli spent the days near the farms or in Lalli's apartment. Emil did most of the talking, telling Lalli about his work during the last ten years, Lalli sometimes offered some stories about his work, but there were subjects both of them avoided. Lalli didn't ask Emil about his arm and Emil didn't ask Lalli about how he had spied on Emil. They also stayed far away from the topic of Denmark, even though neither would have minded talking about it.

During the evenings they spent their time with Tuuri and Tauno and some mornings they stumbled over Onni and his wife as they followed their kids to kindergarden. The kindergarden was close to the civilian quarters and Emil had dragged Lalli there a couple of days to play with the kids. During the nights they slept in Lalli's apartment, both of them waking up the moment the other made a sound, making sure everything was okay before they went back to sleep.

Seven days after his arrival in Keuruu Emil dreamt about Lalli again. Lalli was leaning over him when he opened his eyes and found himself on the field. Emil blinked in confusion and Lalli pulled back, allowed Emil to sit up. Lalli looked at him, crossed his arms over his chest.

”We need to talk.”

Emil shivered at Lalli's voice and the words. His former girlfriend had used the exact same words when she told him what was going on while he was at work. Emil patted the ground beside him but Lalli didn't move.

”We're keeping secrets. It's not right.”

”What are you talking about?” Emil laughed. ”This dream is weird.”

Lalli frowned, finally sat down.

”My secret first”, he said and looked at the grass. ”This isn't actually a dream.”

”What do you mean?”

”It's not a dream. It's not... real”, Lalli tried. ”It's a sanctuary for your soul.”

Emil stared at Lalli and he looked at the sky instead.

”It's magestuff.”

”I'm not a mage”, Emil laughed, ”so this must be a dream.”

”I woke you up. Five years ago. I made your soul aware of this place. It brings you here by itself now.”

”So all the dreams...”

”Weren't dreams.”

”You did spy on me.”

”Not spying. You told me things yourself.”

”You never told me about this.”

”Didn't know how.” Lalli looked at his hands. ”I'm sorry.”

Emil got up, started walking in circles infront of Lalli. Lalli continued looking on his hands, waiting.

”Okay”, Emil said after a while. ”Okay, you're forgiven. I guess I can kind of understand it, except I can't.”

Lalli looked up again, Emil smiled at him. Lalli still looked serious.

”Your secret.”

”I've told you everything.”

”Your arm, what happened to it?”

Emil looked away. He slowly lifted his hands and pulled off the tunic that covered his upper body, let the gloves fall to the ground. Lalli got up from the ground, carefully traced his hands over the marks on Emil's arms and chest.

”Burnmarks”, he said quietly.

”My dirty little secret”, Emil said, his voice shaking.

”When? What happened?”

”Five years ago... It was an accident. One of my workmates...” Emil looked away.

Lalli hesitated, then put his arms around Emil. Emil's body shook.

”I couldn't save him. I tried to pull him out, but it was too late and...”

Lalli could feel burnmarks on Emil's back as well, less serious but still there.

”My clothes caught on fire. The others managed to put it out but...” Emil pulled away from Lalli, lifted his arms and turned around infront of him, so Lalli could see exactly how bad it was. ”This happened. Second and third degree burns, spent two weeks in the hospital and it took another four months before I got back to work. We lost a lot of the new recruits that year.”

”How are you now?”

Emil looked at the grass.

”It doesn't hurt.”

Lalli moved closer again, grabbed Emil's chin and pulled it up so their eyes locked.

”You know what I mean.”

”I'm doing good. I just don't want anyone to know.”

”Not even me?”

”Especially not you”, Emil smiled. ”Should have known you'd see right through me.”

”You're easy to read.”

Lalli let go of Emil and sat down in the grass again. Emil looked at the animals and pulled the tunic back on.

”You said animals like me.”

Lalli nodded, patted the grass and Emil sat down beside him.

”Animals don't have their own sanctuaries. Some of them find humans they trust and take place in their sanctuaries. You got many.”

”But how?”

Lalli shrugged.

”Don't know. No one knows. It just is like that. Mostly family pets, rarely wild animals. Don't trust humans.” He gestured towards the deers, the rabbits, the lynxes that was hidden among the trees. ”They trust you.”

”And the horse?” Emil said as his eyes fell on a horse grazing behind them.

”Soulanimalthing.”

”I have a luonto?”

”Not luonto, diffrent. Other gods.”

Emil laid down.

”This is all really confusing.”

”I apologize.”

”Don't, I'm glad you're telling me. Lalli, can I ask you something?”

Lalli nodded slowly, glanced at Emil.

”You talk easier in here, why?”

Lalli frowned slightly, looked at the sky.

”It's home.”

”You also have a sanctuary, right?”

Lalli nodded.

”Can I see it?”

”No.”

”Why not? You've seen mine.”

”Would be dangerous. Safe in here, dangerous outside. Lots of lost spirits.”

Lalli laid down next to Emil.

”We should wake up, they'll miss us at breakfast.”

”How do you wake up from here?”

”You just wake up. You've done it before, you should know.”

”Then I thought this was a dream.”

”It's still almost a dream. I'll wake you if you don't manage.”

Emil was about to answer, but Lalli disappeared. He looked at the sky for a while, pondered about how he could do this and then he opened his eyes. Lalli smiled at him.

”Knew you could.”

Emil nodded, grabbed his shirt and looked at Lalli.

”Could you look away?”

Lalli placed his hand over Emil's.

”Let me see.”

”You already did.”

”Nothing to be ashamed of.”

”I'm not”, Emil hesitated, pulled his hand away from Lalli's. ”Not really”, he grabbed the pyjamas. ”I just...”

”Care too much. Won't judge, promise.”

Emil nodded, pulled the shirt off and looked away. Lalli's hand traced over his chest and his arms and Emil shivered slightly. Lalli took off his own shirt, turned his back to Emil and Emil saw a wide scar covering it.

”A troll”, Lalli said. ”Almost breached the wall where Onni was.”

Emil let his fingers trace the scar.

”You didn't tell me about that.”

”Still have three weeks to tell you about all attacks.”

Emil changed into normal clothes, watched as Lalli did the same. He could see lots of scars covering the Finn, but didn't ask about them. He knew the answers would come. They walked together to the dining hall and when they were almost there Lalli pulled Emil to the side.

”Don't tell them about the dream.”

”Why not?”

”It's not allowed to make non-mages aware of it. Your souls are...” Lalli looked at the sky. ”They're not safe in there. They can't protect themselves. It's different when you sleep.”

Emil shook his head.

”I don't understand the mage-things but I promise, I won't let it slip.”

Tuuri waved at them when they came inside and she looked curiously at them when they sat down at her table. Emil tried his hardest to look normal, but she winked.

”Did something good happen? Both of you are looking happy.”

”No, nothing”, Emil said, ”just a good nights sleep.”

Lalli kicked him under the table and he mouthed a wordless  _What_ to his friend. Tuuri looked curiously between them and both of them focused on their food instead. Onni and Tauno joined the table after ten minutes and another five minutes later Kielo, Onni's wife, joined them as well. Emil, Kielo and Tuuri talked the most, leaving Lalli, Onni and Tauno out of the conversation, but neither of the three seemed to mind.

After breakfast Lalli brought Emil along to one of the outposts to let him see a little more of Finland than the military barracks inside Keuruu. They exchanged a few words with some of Lalli's workmates and then Lalli brought Emil into the forests.

”I can't show you my sanctuary”, he whispered and put his hands over Emil's eyes, ”so I'll show this instead.”

He slowly guided Emil through the trees, made sure to warn him for roots and rocks that could make him trip. Emil was unusually quiet as they walked. After a couple hundred meters Lalli stopped, took his hand from Emil's eyes.

”This is what it looks like.”

”It looks...” Emil thought while looking at the tall trees, at the rocky formations on the other side of the bog. ”...safe”, he concluded.

”It's not warm like yours, but this is home.”

”It's beautiful.”

”You're just being nice. It looks terrible.”

”Okay, yes, it does”, Emil laughed. ”But I can understand why you feel safe in a place like this. Because that's what forms the sanctuaries, right?”

”Lots of factors form them”, Lalli explained and pulled at Emil's sleeve. ”But we shouldn't linger, beasts have been spotted.”

Emil looked at the area again before letting Lalli lead him away from there. He would never forget the place Lalli had just showed him.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Tuuri kept impatiently looking at the clock during the whole day, and for some reason it seemed to go slower than ever this day. She tapped her fingers on the desk, but was hushed by one of her co-workers. She just wanted to get out of there and catch Onni before they went to dinner to meet with everyone else. During the last ten years she had never had a day as slow as this one, she loved her work and the days always flew by.

In her mind she went over the last ten years. As soon as she had gotten back to Keuruu she had asked for her old job back, and had gotten it. She had tried convincing Lalli to continue practice Swedish, but failed that and instead offered private lessons in Icelandic and Swedish to people who needed and wanted it. That's how she had met Tauno, he needed to get better at Icelandic because the military had hired him as interpreter. She had tried her best to keep an eye at Lalli during the years as well, but with her extra work and with her getting a boyfriend it had been harder. She had however noticed how he had gotten slightly happier and more open during the years.

She looked at the clock again. Thirty minutes left. Twenty-five. Twenty. One of her co-workers asked her if she still taugh Swedish, but she had stopped two years ago. There wasn't any time for it. Five minutes left, still five minutes. Still five minutes. Tuuri worried that the clock had stopped. Four minutes. Tuuri started gathering her papers, went to clean her cup. One minute. She grabbed her bag as the whistle signaled the end of the day.

She hurried outside, rushed through the streets towards Onni's station. He came outside just as she arrived, stopped when he saw her and said goodbye to his workmates before running to his sister.

”Tuuri, why are you here? Did something happen? Did Tauno leave you? Want me to hit him?”

Tuuri laughed, shook her head.

”It's nothing about Tauno, but thank you for having my back. It's about Lalli and Emil.”

Onni frowned, put his hands to his sides.

”Are you going to play matchmaker again? Lalli didn't like it last time you tried.”

”Because I approached it all wrong! I thought he needed someone to forget about Emil but...”

”Tuuri, no.”

”But he needs Emil! Lalli will never admit it on his own, so we have to make sure they get together.”

”Tuuri, it's never a good idea to put your nose in other people's business. And how can you be sure that's what they want?"

”Oh come on, Onni! Have you ever seen Lalli this happy?”

Onni didn't answer.

”And you didn't hear them this morning before you arrived. Apparently the two of them had a  _very_ good night. Doesn't that mean anything to you?”

”Not necessarily. You should ask Lalli before trying to influence his love-life. I'm certain he won't be impressed with you trying to influence it.”

Tuuri pouted, walked with Onni to his apartment, where he changed from his mage-uniform to something less eye-catching. They stopped by Tuuri's house so she could drop off her bag before dinner. Tauno and Kielo had already gotten a table and Tuuri could see Onni's two boys running around the dining hall together with some of their friends. Onni and Tuuri sat down at the table after getting some food and Tuuri tried getting Tauno and Kielo to help her with a plan. Tauno laughed a little, played along, while Kielo tried to get her to abandon her idea. Onni hugged his wife wher he heard it.

Laughter echoed through the dining hall and Tuuri noticed Lalli and Emil entering, looked at Onni and gestured towards them. Onni let out a sigh and looked at her.

”Leave them alone. Didn't the weird Swede have a girlfriend?”

” _Had_ , they're not together any longer.”

”Anyway, they might not want to get together with anyone. Not everyone thinks getting hooked up and reproduced is the most important thing in life.”

The conversation died out when Emil and Lalli sat down by the table. Tuuri kept looking in their direction, nudging Tauno whenever she noticed Emil and Lalli interacting or she saw Lalli smiling. Onni and Kielo gathered their boys after half an hour and went home, leaving the other four behind. Tuuri started asking about Emil's plans for the rest of his visit and he ensured her he had no plans at all and just wanted to take the days as they came. Tuuri suggested that they could all take a trip out of town now that the weekend was coming up and Emil smiled.

”Sounds like a nice idea. Where are we going?”

”We could visit Saimaa. It's not the Finnish equivalent to Mora, but it's nice. There's a little more to see there.”

”I'd like that”, Emil said. ”How about you, Lalli?”

Lalli shrugged.

”Won't mind.”

”Awesome”, Tuuri squeed. ”We should take the evening ferry tomorrow, it'll take a few hours to get there. I'll tell Onni on the way home”, she turned to Tauno. ”You won't mind stopping by there, right?”

”Of course not.”

Tuuri smiled, continued asking Emil about Mora, his work, his love-life and his family and Emil laughed, somehow managed to dodge half of the questions and throw some of them back at Tuuri. One of them almost made Tuuri choke on her food.

”So when are you two having a baby?”

”How did you know?”

”OH! I just meant because Onni... Congratulations! Are you excited?”

”A little, yeah”, Tuuri blushed. ”It's due in three months. We've talked about trying to find somewhere in Saimaa when it comes, a military base isn't the ideal location for a young child.”

”That's why you want to go there?”

”Oh no, I seriously want to show it to you! It's more beautiful in the summers, of course.”

”For Mora you should come midwinter. Half a meter of snow brings out the colours of the houses, it's pretty.”

”Maybe I'll do that next year.”

Lalli pulled at Emil's coat and Emil smiled.

”Looks like we're done here. We'll see you tomorrow.”

He winked at them and Tuuri looked at Tauno when they left.

”See what I mean, they're practically dating already.”

”Of course, you're a hundred percent correct.”

Tauno leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek, causing her to blush. The two of them finished their food and left the dining area, stopping by Onni's house on the way home. Onni didn't seem to like the idea of going to Saimaa, but since his family got excited at the idea he couldn't back out.

”Why do you want me to come along, I hardly know Emil.”

”Don't be like that, you're my family, of course I want you to tag along. If you survived the travel to Sweden I'm sure you can survive this as well.”

Onni let out a sigh, but agreed and Tuuri said goodbye, grabbed Tauno's hand and continued home.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Saimaa wasn't Mora, Emil decided after having spent a day in the Finnish capital, but it was a nice little town. Like Keuruu it had a civilian quarter surrounded by a wall and military barrack outside, but the civilian quarters in Saimaa was much larger. Tuuri and Emil had taken a guided tour so Emil could learn more about the country while the others had found a place in the park to sit. Lalli had been forced to play with Onni's boys since Emil wasn't there and Emil had had to endure lots of cursing about it afterwards. He promised Lalli he wouldn't leave him like that again.

Tuuri had spent the whole day asking Emil even more questions about Sweden, how his girlfriend had been, why they seperated, if he was looking for a partner,  _what_ he was looking for in a partner. Emil had been relieved when he had finally been able to take cover for the night in the hotel room he shared with Lalli.

”If she keeps going on like this I'm going to say 'Someone who doesn't ask so many questions'!” he complained as he sank down on his bed.

”She won't get it”, Lalli kicked off his boots and sat down on the other bed.

”I love your cousin, but she's can be a bit...”

”I know”, Lalli gave Emil a weird look.

Lalli told Emil about when Tuuri had done the same to him a few years ealier. Emil laughed as Lalli amitted he had almost ended up together with someone just to get Tuuri to stop. The person in question had found someone else who caught their attention in the nick of time. The two friends divided for a while about what Tuuri could be planning and then Lalli started telling Emil about some of the attacks he had encountered and Emil told Lalli more about his work as a captain. When they fell asleep they met up in Emil's sanctuary to continue their conversation.

Emil noticed Onni keeping an extra close eye on the two of them the next day. Kielo and Onni almost ended up in a fight because Onni didn't pay enough attention to the boys and they had ended up pushing some of the mannequins in the museum over. While Onni was busy getting his ears chewed off Emil grabbed Lalli's hand and snuck away to another room in the museum. He tried asking Lalli what Onni was doing, but the Finn merely shrugged. They found Tauno in the other room and Emil and Lalli sa t down with him. Emil and Tauno ended up talking about the expedition to the Silent World. Tauno asked about details Emil hadn't even thought about, like what went through his mind when he first met Tuuri and Lalli, and what actually happened on the train, and why didn't he get angry when Lalli stole his onlay. Emil was starting to suspect that something was going on, but answered the questions to the best of his abilities.

The last day in Saimaa they spent the day looking through stores. Emil tried to stay away from both Tuuri and Tauno, tired of all the questions, but they always managed to find him. Kielo and Onni did their best to to soften the questioning, but Tuuri always found a way to get to Emil. Lalli had managed to hide somewhere and Emil spent most of his time trying to find his friend. He got himself a souvenir from one of the stores, a snowglobe with a miniature of Saimaa inside and as evening fell they made their way back to the boat. Emil looked forward to meet Lalli in his dream again, but as he went asleep the other wasn't there. Emil leaned against a tree and looked at one of the lynxes who was sneaking around in the forest-part.

Lalli had explained a little, but far from enough for Emil to understand what was going on. He had tried forming his own theories, but without knowing anything it was hard. To start with, how had the animals found him? How large was the sanctuary even? Emil had tried following the barrier but always woke up before he had returned to the starting point. Were all sanctuaries this large? Lalli would never let him see. Emil looked towards the barrier, pondered going out there to see for himself, but decided to trust Lalli. The Finn had said his soul would be vulnerable out there and while he wasn't entirely certain what a soul even was he didn't want to risk anything.

He woke up when the boat pulled into port since one of Onni's boys was jumping on him. He sat up, shook Lalli awake, but didn't ask about the other's absence in the sanctuary. They hadn't promised to meet there or anything, he had just gotten used to it. Lalli blinked towards him, strutted out of the sleeping area and Emil grabbed his backpack and followed Lalli outside. Onni's boys ran around him, he lifted the youngest one and put him on his shoulders. The boy squeed, then slid back down to the floor and ran away to play with his brother. Emil sat down by the table with the rest of the gang as the passengers started leaving the boat. Onni and Kielo said good bye and hurried away to get the boys to kindergarden on time. Tuuri and Tauno stayed around a little longer, asked Emil what he had thought of Saimaa, and then they hurried away to work.

”So, what do we do now?”

Lalli shrugged. Emil looked at the buildings infront of tmen, then looked at Lalli again.

”How long are you free from work?”

”Depends.”

”Depends?”

”On you.”

Lalli walked towards the barrack, and Emil looked after him, his grip around the packpack tightened. What did Lalli want of him? He didn't know and he didn't know how to ask. He scratched the back of his head, pulled the backpack to his back and ran after Lalli. He'd figure it out later.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Lalli had waited almost four weeks now. He had shown Emil around Keuruu, taught him about the magespace, followed him to Saimaa and Joutenvesi. He had endured Tuuri's attempt to try to get him together with Emil, had been forced to spend time with Onni's kids and worst of all...

Lalli had enjoyed it. Lalli had enjoyed spending time with Emil, had enjoyed watching him interact with the kids, with the other people in Keuruu, had enjoyed talking with him about their lives. And in just a couple of days it would be over.

He watched as Emil ran around in his apartment, gathering his stuff and putting them in the backpack. Emil had insisted that it was better to start packing already and Lalli had sat down on the bed to not be in the way. After about an hour of watching Emil running around and turning his apartment upside-down he left. He ran over the bridge, followed the road to the Häntämäki-outpost, but turned down one of the forest-paths and sat down on a rock there.

Winter was closing in, the air had slowly gotten colder during the month he had spent with Emil. In another month snow would cover the streets of Keuruu and he wouldn't need to head out for scouting as much. He never liked winter particulary much because of that, he felt better when everything was as it always had been. This month had been everything he didn't want, and he had enjoyed it.

He lost track of time, but after a while he slid down from the rock and went back to the bridge. He went through the decontamination then hurried back home. Emil was probably worrying about him by now. He opened the door, prepared himself for the hug that didn't come and he opened his eyes. Emil was gone. Lalli sank down on the bed, looked at the wall. Had Emil thought he had finally grown tired of the other's company? That he needed his space? Why hadn't Emil said anything before walking out? Where was he planning to spend his remaining days? Lalli clenched his hands. Maybe he should head out, try to find Emil, explain himself. Yes, that was what normal people did. Lalli didn't move.

The sun set, Lalli's apartment got dark. He still hadn't moved. Maybe Emil had taken up Tuuri's offer from his first day in Keuruu, Lalli's apartment was very small after all. Hardly large enough for two people, especially not when one of them was Emil. Lalli laid down on the bed, the sheets still smelled like Emil. Five minutes went past, ten, thirty. He heard steps getting closer and sat up again. The door opened and a candle came into view.

”Lalli?”

Lalli froze. Emil's voice.

”Are you home?”

The door opened wide and Lalli could see the light dancing over Emil's face. Emil dropped the backpack by the door and smiled at him.

”Hi there. I missed you. Did I scare you away?”

”A little”, Lalli confessed. ”Where were you?”

”Oh, right. I was in the civilian quarters, had some business there.”

Lalli watched as Emil searched his pockets, waited in silence for the other to explain himself. Emil pulled out some pieces of paper and held them towards Lalli, who took them, looked at them. It was tickets and Lalli looked at Emil, looked at the papers again and then back at Emil.

”You don't have to if you don't want to”, Emil said, ”but I thought it would be fun. But don't feel like you have to!”

”You already have tickets.”

”Yes, I... I've tried getting it done the whole week but we've been so busy and I kind of forgot about it and I know I should have asked you first, but...”

Lalli got up from the bed, placed a pair of fingers against Emil's chin and closed his mouth.

”I'll come. Will be fun.”

Emil looked relieved and Lalli smiled, put the tickets in his pocket and sat down on the bed again. Emil looked at him, tilted his head, and Lalli looked away. The mattress swayed a little as Emil sat down on it.

”Did you think I was tired of you?”

Lalli didn't answer.

”I'm sorry”, Emil said. ”I was a bit stressed out. I don't find travelling as relaxing as I pretend to. And I didn't really want to leave you so soon, but I also want to go visit Sigrun and Mikkel. And I”, Emil smiled, ”I had a feeling you wanted to come with me.”

Lalli looked at Emil, gave a slight smile and patted the bed. Emil sat down and Lalli leaned against the wall, asked Emil to tell him about the plans. Emil went over it quickly, they had already talked a little about it, but Lalli hadn't paid attention during those times since he hadn't been part of it. A strong feeling of happiness spread through Lalli when Emil asked if he was okay with the plans. Lalli nodded, and Emil looked at him, patted his knee.

”Promise to tell me if you change your mind.”

Lalli knew Emil had hid best in mind, knew that Emil didn't want Lalli to feel alone and pressured , but he also didn't want to destroy Emil's carefully planned vacation, so he nodded, promised he would and promised himself he would do what he could to enjoy it. Emil couldn't read him as well as he could read Emil, but he knew Emil would notice if Lalli was getting overwhelmed and adjust their plans to allow Lalli to gather himself. He looked at Emil.

”It'll be fun.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...it seems I had Emil sit down on the bed twice without getting up. Oh well, I can't be a perfect author all the time, can I? :P


	9. Chapter 9

Tuuri had been very happy about Lalli following Emil and while Emil found it weird he was happy he hadn't had to argue with her about it. Onni had simply asked Lalli if it was what he really wanted and then there hadn't been any arguments from his side either. Emil had expected more of a fight. The two had followed Emil and Lalli to Pori, they had spent a few hours together there, and then Tuuri and Onni had to leave on the boat back to Keuruu.  Emil and Lalli had spent another hour in the town while waiting to board the ship. They found a room where they left their stuff and then headed out to investigate the boat before it left shore.

Lalli took cover under the bed when the boat left the harbour, leaving Emil to entertain hiself. He found a few Swedes returning from cleansing the Finnish forests, so he sat down and talked with them. Neither of them recognized him since they belonged to the Mora-division and Emil mostly worked in Östersund and during the conversation his line of work never came up. They had a few drinks together, played some games. They were joined at midnight by a couple of Finns and Emil had to work as an interpreter between the two groups. His respect for Tuuri increased every time he did that; he had trouble translating between two languages and couldn't imagine having to do it with  _three_ .

Around three Emil had gone back to the cabin and fallen asleep. He woke up in his sanctuary, noticed Lalli wasn't there and fell into a deeper sleep. The cleansers had woken him up as the boat pulled into port and he thanked them, waited until they had actually stopped before shaking Lalli awake. Lalli scrambled out from under the bed and they left the boat together.

They had to stay in Björköfjärden for the night, Emil got them a room at the hotel, dropped off his backpack and showed Lalli around in the little town. Emil got a couple of potatoes to give to Mikkel and winked a little at Lalli, who only shook his head. They searched for something else that might work better as a gift and Emil found two small books: ”Improve your swing” and ”Stitches for beginners”. Lalli shook his head again, but smiled and Emil took that as the other approving of the gifts.

They left the hotel early in the morning, had breakfast in the bakery and at nine the boat to Bornholm left the harbour. Lalli took cover under one of the bed and Emil sat down on it.

”It'll take us about five days to reach Bornholm, you should try to get used to it.”

”Mff.”

Emil knew Lalli wouldn't be persuaded just yet, so he left the other to check the boat out. He found a group of Danes on the deck, spent some time with them and asked if any of them knew where the Madsen-farm was. One of them laughed, hit Emil's back.

”You must be that Swede my brother told me about. I'll take you to it, it's about time I see my family again.”

The man introduced himself as Malthe Madsen. He told Emil that he spent most of his time in base near Øresund, under admiral Olsen, but he had spent the summer in Sweden to help start up some farms in the cleansed areas around Björköfjärden. It had been four years since he joined the military and he hadn't had time to see his family during those years. The other Danes also introduced themselves, told Emil a little about their life-stories and Emil told them he was on vacation together with a friend to visit his old team.

After a couple hours all passengers were called below deck since the boat would enter more dangerous waters and Emil and Malthe found a group of Norwegians who they sat down with. When evening came Emil grabbed a couple sandwiches and went to the bedroom, shook Lalli awake and told him to eat a little. Lalli turned to his other side and Emil sat on the bed, listened to the engines and ate his food. After dinner he went back out to the other passengers.

The next day Lalli joined him a little while he talked with Malthe. They had found a pool table in one of the rooms and decided to spend the day there, but Lalli left after only a couple of hours. Emil explained that Lalli was very prone to sea sickness and Malthe nodded in understanding. Malthe won most of the rounds and at dinner time Malthe went back to his Dannish friends while Emil got company from an older couple who were on their way to visit their granddaughter in Iceland.

The last three days of the trip Lalli managed to stay awake without feeling too much like throwing up, and Emil was happy to get to spend some more time with his friend. They played some pool, hung out with Malthe, played pictionary with the old couple or just walked around in the boat in order to kill some time. They arrived to Bornholm late in the evening on day five and Malthe said good bye to his friends who were going to continue to the base before leading Emil and Lalli along the road. As they walked he showed them a few places, told them a little about Denmark. They had walked for almost two hours when Malthe stopped, gestured towards some houses.

”There it is, the Madsen farm!”

 


	10. Chapter 10

Lalli didn't care much, and Emil knew he shouldn't since he had seen lots of farms both in Sweden and in Finland, but there was something different about the Madsen farm. To begin with, it was  **big** , with large fields that laid barren for the winter. Cows were grazing in one field, getting what fresh grass they could before the first snow would fall. And in the middle of the whole place there was four buildings, all looking like they had been built by different people, and even those different people hadn't been able to agree about how their own house should look. Even though it looked like a place to try out new explosives there was still something tranquil, something warm, over the place. It felt like home, even though Emil had never seen it before.

”It's a beauty, isn't it?” Malthe said with a laugh.

Emil wasn't sure how to answer, so he nodded. Malthe led them towards the houses and Lalli started pulling at Emil's backpack as they walked, handing Emil the three presents they had gotten for Mikkel. As they got closer Emil spotted someone near one of the buildings, trying to get a cow to go inside it. Malthe waved to the person.

”Yo, Mikkel!”

”Ah, the lost son returns”, Mikkel answered and gave up his attempts with the cow. ”And he brought company! You should have warned us.”

”Hi Mikkel”, Emil said, smiling stupidly at the older man.

Mikkel hadn't changed much during the years. A little bit thinner, but barely noticeable, still sporting the sideburns and his shoulder-lenght hair. As he came up to them Emil noticed the wrinkles in his face and as the man smiled at them he saw that there was something different over Mikkel's eyes that age alone couldn't explain.

”Sorry for not warning you”, Emil said, ”but I wasn't entirely sure if I'd even find you.”

Mikkel nodded towards what seemed to be the main building, told them to get inside and Malthe led them to the building. Mikkel joined them after ten minutes.

”Michael, we have guests! Prepare some food for them, they look like they're starving!”

He sank down in an armchair, gestured for Emil, Lalli and Malthe to sit down, which they did, and then Mikkel asked what had brought them there. Emil explained that he had wanted to visit the first people he could actually call friends and Lalli had been kind enough to offer to tag along. He told Mikkel a little about how life had been in Sweden, and then Michael came inside to tell them that food had been prepared. Emil's jaw dropped a little when he saw the second Mikkel entering the room, and Michael laughed, held out his hand to the Swede.

”I'm Michael, Mikkel's older brother.”

”Older only by about thirty minutes.”

”It's still older.”

Emil decided that Michael was a person he liked. He got up from the couch and was reminded about the gifts he was still holding and offered them to Mikkel. Mikkel raised an eyebrow, but thanked him and opened them. He laughed when he saw the potatoes and his laughter increased when he unwrapped the two books. They all went to the dining room, sat down and ate dinner. Malthe told his brothers about what he had done in Sweden and how Emil had stumbled over him on the boat, followed by Mikkel and Michael telling stories about farm-work during the summer. Emil did his best to keep Lalli part of the conversation, but after a while Lalli patted his arm and told him to enjoy the conversation without translating. Emil smiled thankfully.

”So you've mastered Finnish now?” Mikkel asked.

”Only took me like 8 years”, Emil said, proud over his achievement. ”I decided to finish studying it when I got back home since I had already started. Was pretty good to have in work as well, made the Finns feel more welcome when they came over.”

”How about Danish?”

”Still sounds like gibberish”, Emil answered with a smile. ”So what have you been up to these years?”

”Little brother here is inbetween jobs again”, Michael said, ”so he dcided to help me and the wife out here. He's also bravely declining all attempts from the ladies who wants to court him.”

”I am too old to get married and have kids, Michael.”

”Don't try that one on me, you've been like this for twenty years.”

”Was that the reason you came to the Silent World with us?”

”They needed someone to keep an eye on you kids and since I was momentarily between jobs at that time I decided that I could just as well follow along.”

Michael leaned closer to Emil.

”Don't listen to him, it was his revenge for getting kicked off from the reclamation attempt.”

Emil laughed, but tried to hide it behind a cough. Mikkel glared at the two of them and they fell quiet as they finished eating up. Michael took care of the dishes while the other four continued talking. Malthe left when Michael came back and the four of them played some boardgames and kept talking for another two hours. Mikkel offered Emil and Lalli room on the farm while they stayed in Denmark, but warned them that there would be early mornings and that he had lots of work to do and wouldn't be able to entertain them much. Emil ensured him that it wouldn't be any problem, he and Lalli were able to entertain themselves.

Emil helped Mikkel with the cows the next day, with Lalli sitting on the fence to watch them work. Mikkel had to show him how everything worked, and he admitted that he was impressed that Emil was interested in learning it. Emil wasn't sure what to answer and instead asked Mikkel about what he had done since the expedition. Mikkel  told the younger man that he  had worked in Iceland for a couple of years, then returned to the Danish military, and was sent to Norway to work in Sigrun's division. A year later he returned to the farm as his mother had gotten ill, had found work in the town, but after six months she had passed away and Mikkel moved back to the farm to help his father, who was also getting worse.

”Michael and his wife inherited the farm, so I rejoined the Danish army”, Mikkel continued. "There was a new attempt to reclaim former Denmark and...”

”Were you relocated again?”

Mikkel hook his head.

”I was in the first wave. We got further this time, but then... We got overrun. I almost died that day and when I was finally better Michael had gotten his first kid, so I moved back to the farm. I have been helping out here since then, I take care of the animals with Maiken, Michael's wife, while Michael handles the crops.”

Mikkel showed Emil once more how to grab the cow while milking it. Lalli also gave it a try, but the cow moved away from his cold hands, and Mikkel took over. Emil helped leading a few of the cows into the barn and at lunchtime Maiken came with food. She looked tiny next to Mikkel, almost a head shorter than Emil and very round.

”Eighth month”, she answered to Emil's unspoken question.

”And you shouldn't be out working”, Mikkel said and patted her head.

”I know, but I can't trust you two with the cooking.”

She sat down on a bench and Mikkel wrapped a blanket around her before he sat down to eat. Maiken told Emil about life on the farm and all the trouble Mikkel and Michael had given their parents when they were young. Maiken had lived in the farm next to the Madsen family and often snuck over to be with the twins.

”I had an older brother, but he was ten years older and me and didn't want to drag a kid along while he helped our parents. Michael and Mikkel let me tag along”, she looked at Mikkel, ”even though I didn't enjoy when they lured me into the bull's pen.”

”He wouldn't have hurt a fly”, Mikkel said in defense.

”Yes, but how would you expect a five year old girl to understand that? My parents forbid me to come over after that, so of course they found me here more often. Did you two have any pets?”

Both Emil and Lalli shook their heads, but Emil told her about the dog his family had owned when he was a child. Lalli had never had a pet, but Emil happily shared his plans about maybe getting a cat or something. Mikkel laughed, commented that Lalli should be quite enough for that and Emil shook his head.

”You can't own Lalli.”

Maiken gathered the bowls again and went back to the house, Lalli followed her and Emil continued helping Mikkel get the cows inside the barn. It seemed to go well, but when almost all of them were inside half of them escaped again and they had to start over. Gathering them took almost the whole day and when it was time to head to bed Emil fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

 


	11. Chapter 11

Next day Malthe was ordered to take over Mikkel's work with the animals, and Mikkel followed Lalli and Emil into the Danish Capital. Rønne was pretty large compared to the number of people living in it, with lots of stores and market squares. There was also a university in the city, Mikkel pointed out when they passed by it, but neither Emil nor Lalli was very interested in it. Mikkel said hello to some of his friends, and Lalli disappeard among the crowd. Emil looked confused at the empty space beside him, considered trying to find Lalli again, but decided that the wisest course of action was to stay with Mikkel. Lalli could easily find them again.

They stopped by the grocery store to pick up some things for Maiken, then contined to Rønne Havn. Most of the harbor had fallen apart due to old age, but there were people working to maintain it and rebuild it. Emil looked in awe at it; it was even bigger than the one in Björköfjärden. He hadn't been able to see much of it when they arrived due to it being evening and very little light, but as Mikkel led him along the wharf he looked at all the boats, stopped when something caught his interest and talked a little with some of the boat owners. When they left the harbour Emil carried a large bag filled with fish that he had gotten from the sailors.

Lalli rejoined them when they left the town. Emil asked where he had been, but only got a shrug as answer.

”You have not changed at all”, Mikkel said with a laugh.

Emil smiled, Mikkel had no clue about how much Lalli had actually changed.

”You, on the other hand”, he said, ”haven't even once tried to convince me I have face-cancer. What have happened to you?”

”I am a family-man now, there is little time to pull jokes on ignorant Swedes.”

”You say that like it's a bad thing.”

They walked in silence for a while, until they were almost at the farm again.

”How are you, Mikkel? Honestly.”

Mikkel stopped, looked at the Swede and then looked at the sky.

”You have sure gotten observant.” Mikkel let out a sigh. ”We lost Mette last year, our youngest sister. And...” Mikkel looked away. ”I failed to protect Mille during the attack.”

”I'm sorry...”

”I am not a very good big brother, am I?”

”Don't say that, I'm sure you did your best! Come on, Mikkel, you have to believe in yourself, like you did in Denmark. Went against the captain's orders and everything.”

Mikkel smirked a little.

”I did do that. But it feels like a life-time ago...”

”Time sure take its toll on us”, Emil changed his grip around the bag. ”Do you want to... I don't know... visit their graves or something? There were a couple of flower shops in the town.”

”Thank you for the offer, Emil, but I would not want to destroy your vacation. I can visit them any time I want to, but I don't get to see you very often. Ten years is a long time.”

”I've been pretty busy.”

”I have understood that. A captain, eh?”

Emil nodded and they started walking again.

”So you are still stuck in the army?”

”I don't really know anything else...”

”How have you been during these last years?”

Emil looked away.

”Pretty good, got a girlfriend and then I got promoted and now I'm having a vacation.”

”I can still tell when you are lying, Emil. But I am not going to force you to tell me, I am certain you have reasons for not telling the whole truth. We never were very close.”

”And yet I'm happy to call you a friend.”

They reached the farm, Emil handed the bag to Maiken and she and Lalli left in order to gut the fish. Mikkel and Emil sat down in the living room, and were soon joined by Michael and Malthe. Malthe kept complaining about the cows hating his guts, and Mikkel laughed and told him to not stay away from home for so long next time. Michael simply said that he could take the hens the next day, Mikkel probably didn't want to be away from his beloved cows more than a day anyway. Maiken and Lalli returned after an hour, reeking of fish. All of them sat down for dinner and afterwards they played cards for a couple of hours before it was time for bed.

Emil and Lalli met for the first time since Saimaa in the dreamworld.

”Hey there, I've missed you”, Emil said.

”Was some trouble.”

”Oh?” Emil sat up. ”What trouble?”

”Onni”, Lalli sat down next to Emil. ”He's suspecting something.”

”Didn't you say he never leave his sanctuary?”

”He doesn't. He's still my teacher, wanted to keep an eye on me. I'm not allowed to be here.”

”I'm glad you came anyway. Where did you go today?”

”Too much people.”

”I understand. You feel better now?”

Lalli nodded.

”I went past Mikkel's sanctuary. Also animals. Cows.”

”I'm... not surprised by that.”

”You had fun today?”

”Yeah, seeing Rønne was nice.”

”Plans for tomorrow?”

”I don't know. What if we borrow a horse and take a trip around the island? Would you like that?”

Lalli wrinkled his nose and Emil looked at him, waited. After a while the Finn nodded.

”...You don't trust horses, do you?”

Lalli nodded towards the horse behind them.

”Trust some, most not.”

”Would you hate me if I dragged you on a horse?”

”Never. But I'd prefer running next to it.”

”Bornholm is big, you know.”

”Don't mind.”

”I'm sure we can find a horse strong enough for the two of us.”

Lalli straightened up, looked into the forest.

”Need to leave.”

Emil didn't have time to answer before Lalli disappeared. He was certain it had something with Onni to do, so he laid back down in the grass, closed his eyes. He fell into a dream about fishtrolls hunting him through Rønne, then he was in the Silent World with the old crew. A group of beasts was attacking, one of them aiming at Mikkel, and Emil tried calling out, but his voice was shaking and didn't carry far enough. Something grabbed his shoulder, pressed him to the ground and he closed his eyes.

”Emil, wake up.”

Emil blinked. Lalli stood next to his bed, his hands on Emil's shoulders. Emil looked around, images of the dream already disappearing, and Lalli sat down on the bed. Emil sat up, leaned against Lalli and grabbed his arm. Lalli tensed up, but didn't move away.

”Bad dream?”

”Yeah, I think so... I didn't scream, did I?”

Lalli shook his head and Emil let go of him, leaned against the wall.

”It was about fish or something”, he muttered. ”I'm sorry I woke you up.”

”Feel better?”

”Yeah, thanks.”

Lalli sank down under the bed again, but Emil pulled the blanket over his shoulders, leaned against the wall and looked through the window. He was still awake when Maiken came to wake them up.

 


	12. Chapter 12

”I assume you have ridden a horse before”, Mikkel said as he helped Emil onto the horse's back.

Lalli watched them from a safe distance, but Emil waved to get him to come closer. Lalli crossed his arms over his chest.

”I won't let you fall.”

Lalli took another step back. As much as he trusted Emil, he did  _not_ trust the beast currently carrying his friend. The horse did a turn around the pen and Emil patted her neck. Lalli didn't like how she strutted around with Emil. He also suspected that there would be a new animal in Emil's sanctuary after today. Emil gestured once more for Lalli to come closer, and he took a couple steps towards the pen, then stopped. Mikkel moved closer, but Emil told him to wait. Emil let the horse trot around the pen while waiting for Lalli to approach, the trot switched into gallop, and Lalli's eyes followed Emil as the horse ran around the pen. Emil's pony-tail was fluttering behind him and his coat was flapping in the wind and Lalli was pulled closer by the happiness the other exuded.

Emil pulled the horse to a halt when Lalli reached the pen and Lalli reached out a hand to let it smell him. The horse let out a neigh and Lalli pulled away again.

”She won't bite you”, Emil said.

Lalli carefully walked closer again. Emil positioned the horse close to the small ladder he had used to get onto the horse's back and Lalli climbed ontop of it, then took place behind Emil, placing his arms around Emil's waist. Mikkel opened the saddle bags and put some food in them, wrapped in a pair of blankets.

”You will probably not be able to go around the whole island in just one day, but there are a couple of inns in Nexø that can host horses as well. And if you reach Gudhjem you should stop by Egil. Tell him I sent you and he will give you room for the night. I know him and his family from my days in the army.”

Emil thanked him, asked if Lalli was ready and Lalli nodded, tightened his grip around Emil. He felt Emil tug at the reins and then the horse started walking. Lalli closed his eyes and buried his face in Emil's back. Emil didn't say anything to begin with, and Lalli started drifting off. After a while Emil nudged him and he blinked.

”mf.”

”If you're going to sleep we should switch places.”

”...not sleeping.”

”Close enough. What do you say?”

Lalli fell quiet, buried his face against Emil's back again.

”Okay”, he said after a while.

He slid down from the horse and Emil helped him back up again. Lalli tried to find a comfortable position and relaxed a little when Emil's arms surrounded him.

”You should try to stay awake, the landscape is beautiful.”

Lalli tried to turn around and glare at Emil, but the other was sitting too close for him to be able to, so Lalli settled for another 'mf'. Emil laughed, pulled at the rein again and the horse started walking again. From time to time Emil nudged Lalli, wanted him to look at something, but most of the time Lalli was allowed to sit half asleep in Emil's arms. They stopped in the middle of the day for lunch, then continued along the coast. Lalli kept his eyes on the ocean, just in case a sea beast would attack. Emil kept talking about what he saw, Lalli only listened with one ear. He wasn't very interested in the animals Emil's eyes fell on. He didn't hush the other though, not even when when Emil slipped into Swedish.

They reached Nexø at dinner time, found a hotell and got a room for themselves and left the horse in the hotel's stable. After dinner Emil wanted to see the town and Lalli followed along. While Rønne had a large harbour, Nexø had a wall towards the ocean. There were military barracks close to the wall, and a bakery as well as a grocery store in the civilian part of the town, but outside of that it was mostly small houses.

”Wonder what everyone here does”, Emil said.

Lalli shrugged, continued following Emil. They went back to the hotel after a couple of hours, Lalli noticed Emil yawning and finally saw the bags under his eyes.

”Did you sleep tonight?” he asked.

Emil blushed, looked away, but Lalli switched side to catch Emil's eyes again.

”You could have woken me.”

”I'm not gonna force you to miss sleep just because I had a nightmare.”

”We had this conversation home. Friends allow each other to help.”

Emil sat down on one of the beds and Lalli pulled up a chair, sat down and looked at Emil. Emil kept his eyes on his knees.

”I know, I'm sorry.”

Lalli lifted a hand, hesitated, then placed it on Emil's knee.

”Next time, tell me. We're friends, right?”

”We're friends. I'm sorry I didn't keep you up. I didn't remember the dream, it felt stupid to let it affect me like that.”

”Is not stupid.”

”It felt stupid.”

”If it was me, would I be stupid?”

Lalli waited, saw Emil tense up. After a minute Emil slowly shook his head. Lalli lifted Emil's face, forced the Swede to look at him.

”Please judge yourself like you judge me. Okay?”

Emil laughed.

”I'll try.”

Lalli let go of Emil again, sat down on the bed instead.

”Onni came. Sorry I left.”

”Maybe we should just tell him?”

Lalli shook his head, clenched his hands.

”He won't like it. Told you it's forbidden.”

”Oh, yeah, right. So-”

Lalli closed Emil's mouth before he could finish the apology. Emil gave a small laugh and Lalli let go again.

”Reynir also always apologized. You weren't like that.”

”I guess everything that happened changed me.”

”Sometimes you're different. In charge. Untouchable. But with me... Do I hurt you?”

Emil frowned, shook his head.

”Is that what you worry about? That you  _hurt_ me? Lalli...”

Emil shifted in the bed, turned towards Lalli, and Lalli looked at him.

”Lalli, you're my best friend. You're like... the only one I really feel relaxed with. I mean, I like the others as well, they're great, I'm happy to call them my friends, but what we have...”

Emil scratched his head and Lalli looked away.

”I... hrm... Do I sound like a love-sick puppy?”

”Wouldn't know”, Lalli answered and looked at Emil again. ”...But yes, you do.”

Lalli smiled, and Emil laughed, leaned against the wall. Lalli looked at him, tilted his head.

”Feel better? Really better?”

Emil nodded.

”Yeah, thanks. I'm glad you came along.”

Lalli was silent for a minute, before leaning against the wall as well.

”Me too”, he said, his eyes glued to the ceiling. ”I'm happy I came with you.”

 


	13. Chapter 13

Lalli woke up before Emil. He stayed under the bed for a couple of minutes, tried to get his bearings. When he remembered where he was he rolled out from his hiding place and looked at Emil. Emil moved a little, pulled the blanket a little higher and continued sleeping. Lalli went to the window, looked outside. It was still dark, but he could see the stable and he opened the window, listened to the sound of the horses. Emil started moving again and Lalli closed the window, waited, but the other didn't wake up. Lalli sneaked through the door and left the other to his sleep.

He wasn't sure where to go when he came outside, so he walked the same streets he and Emil had done the day before. He stopped outside the bakery, considered buying something for Emil and realized he couldn't speak the language and that it didn't matter anyway because he couldn't afford it. He still worked as a nightscout, meaning his salary was pretty low, just enough for him to survive. He had been offered promotions several times during the years, but always turned them down. Promotions meant having to interact with people and he wasn't very good at that, he knew that. Tuuri had tried to train him in the art of socialization, but her training always got him overwhelmed, and he was never allowed to leave until she decided he was done. He knew she just wanted to help.

He continued, went back to the hotel. The lights were still out in his and Emil's room, so he went to the stable instead. Ten pair of eyes stared at him when he entered and he hurried to the box with Mikkel's horse. She neighed when he entered and he sank down to the floor, looked at her. She didn't approach him, kept chewing on the food she had gotten in the evening. Lalli thanked the gods and kept looking at her.

”You're in Emil's sanctuary, right?” he asked her after a while. ”If he wakes up in there, can you tell him I'm here?”

Animals couldn't actually talk, not even in the mageroom, but he was certain she would be able to get the message across somehow. She looked at him, returned to the food, an Lalli leaned against the wall, watched her eat. It was still dark outside, but he knew it was almost morning. Usually he went to bed around now. He yawned, but he wasn't very tired.

Outside of the stable the town was slowly waking up. He listened to the sounds around him, to the horses moving around in their boxes, to the people from the hotel who came to make sure their horses had food and clean boxes, to the workers cleaning the boxes. He heard the sound of a car starting and some cats hunting mice in the loft above him. He heard the door to the stable open and close.

”Lalli?”

Lalli lifted a hand and waved it over the edge of the box. Steps hurried to it and Lalli looked up, saw Emil looking down at him.

”Hey there”, Emil said. ”Playing hide and seek?”

”Woke early, wanted to let you sleep. How did you find me?”

”I... don't know actually, I just had a feeling you'd be here.”

”We're heading off?”

”You want to?”

Lalli nodded, smiled at the horse and got up from the floor.

”We're eating breakfast before we leave though, right?” Emil asked.

”Mm, important with food.”

”You're just repeating what Tuuri have told you, are you? We can eat something from the bakery, there should be something you like there as well.”

Lalli blushed a little and looked away.

”No need.”

”I forced you to come along, I have to make sure you're at least fed and alive. Don't worry, Lalli.”

”But, I can't...”

”Lalli, I  _want_ to treat you. Come on now. You're not going to be able to trick me into believing you don't want cookies.”

Emil opened the door to the box and Lalli left it, walked outside. He heard Emil follow him and the two left the stable together. They went to the bakery, Emil took a sandwich, bought one for Lalli as well and got them a couple of cookies. They found a table near the door, although hidden behind a large plant so they wouldn't be disturbed by people entering and leaving. Lalli tried listening to some of the conversations going on around them, but the Danish tongue was too blurry for him to grasp his head around. Emil smiled at him.

”I don't understand all of it either.”

They finished breakfast, Lalli ran ahead back to the hotel, prepared the horse for the travel. Emil came after 20 minutes, ready to go. Lalli felt proud when Emil praised his work and led the horse outside. Emil climbed up first, looked at Lalli.

”Will you sleep today as well?”

Lalli shook his head and Emil smiled.

”Infront or behind?”

”Behind.”

Emil helped Lalli up and Lalli wrapped his arms around Emil's waist again. Emil exchanged a few words with someone from the hotel and then they were off. They followed the largest street out of Nexø, then left it in order to follow the coastline instead. Lalli leaned his head to Emil's back and looked at the ocean.

”You know the way?”

”Not really, but the hotel owner told us Gudhjem was close to the coast as well. I guess the Danes placed their towns close to the sea so they could use the inland for farming. Most of the island is farmland. Apart from the cow pens and stuff.”

They rode in silence for half an hour, then they met a couple of farmers and Emil slid of the horse, talked a little with them. Lalli moved forward in the saddle, leaned against the horse's neck and watched as Emil interacted with the people. After a while Emil waved good bye and climbed up behind Lalli, wrapped his arms around Lalli's waist and leaned against his back.

”You take the reins this time.”

”I don't know...”

”Pull the right one and she heads right, left for left, kick her sides gently to make her move faster and pull both reins to stop her. There's only grazing fields and coast from here to the town, so there's nothing to worry about.”

”But...”

”Only for a while, please?”

Lalli nodded, grabbed the reins and gently kicked the horse. She started walking along the small road they were following, Lalli made sure to keep the coast on their right at all times. He nudged Emil after fiften minutes, felt the other move a little.

”You okay?”

Emil nodded towards Lalli's back, but Lalli wasn't entierly convinced.

”Yeah, I'm just tired.”

”Didn't sleep?”

Emil shook his head.

”Slept like a baby.”

Silence. After another hour Lalli nudged Emil again.

”Awake?”

”A little”, Emil yawned.

”Awake enough to take over?”

Lalli felt Emil frowning and tensing up, and then nodding. Lalli slipped down from the horse, looked at Emil. His cheeks were red, he was sweating a little more than Lalli figured was reasonable for the temperatures and overall looked very tired. Emil smiled at him.

”Got stuck in the mud?”

Lalli shook his head and Emil helped him back up. Emil grabbed the reins and Lalli wrapped his arms around Emil. The horse started moving again, Lalli placed his head on Emil's back, listened to his breathing. It was strained, but not terrible so. He'd force the other to stop if it got worse, they could sleep on a field in worst case. Emil didn't try to talk with him as he led the horse along the road. After a couple hours Lalli noticed Emil sliding down slightly in the saddle and he started looking around for a good place for them to sleep. The fields around them were unprotected, no trees, no rocks, only wind. It wouldn't be a good place for Emil. What they needed was a house. Emil leaned against Lalli.

”We should be there soon.”

”Are you cold?”

”A little.”

Lalli leaned down, started digging in the saddle bag and pulled out one of the blankets and wrapped it around Emil. It was midday, they wouldn't reach Gudhjem for a few more hours and Lalli was certain Emil wouldn't be able to hold himself together all the way. He took the reins from Emil.

”Rest. I'll get us there.”

”I'm sorry”, Emil's voice was shivering slightly. ”I don't know what happened...”

”You're sick, happens everyone. Felt it this morning?”

”Not this bad.”

”Should have told me.”

”I'm sorry.”

”Don't be. We're there soon, you rest.”

”Thanks.”

Lalli moved the reins to his left hand, wrapped the right around Emil to keep him from falling off the saddle. Lalli kicked the horse's side, made her fall into gallop. He met a couple of farmers after an hour, held in the horse.

”Egil”, he said. ”Where Egil?”

The couple answered, talked to him with words he couldn't understand. He shook his head.

”I don't understand”, he said, switching over to Finnish since his Swedish wasn't good enough. ”Where is Egil? Mikkel told us to go to him!”

His breathing was getting shorter and he took a tighter grip around Emil, causing the Swede to let out a yelp and wake up.

”Lalli? Are we under attack?”

Emil moved, Lalli could tell he was trying to find his gun and he leaned towards him.

”No attack. Hush, you need rest.”

Emil struggled, sat up straight and looked around. The farmers looked at him, asked him a couple of questions and Emil answered groggily. Lalli heard Egil's name being mentioned and after a couple minutes the farmers waved good bye and Emil leaned against Lalli again.

”Egil's farm is on the other side of the field. We should follow the road, he doesn't like people walking over his lands.”

”Feel any better?”

”A little.”

Lalli kicked the horse and she followed the road in a trott. He could tell Emil was trying to keep awake, told him to get some rest, but Emil shook his head, saying he was already rested enough. They kept the pace for 20 minutes, then Lalli slowed the horse down again. An older man was standing in the middle of the road, arms crossed over his chest. Lalli stopped the horse when they came up to him and he looked at them.

”You must be Emil and Lalli. Mikkel radioed me yesterday and told me you were coming.”

 


	14. Chapter 14

”You must be Emil and Lalli.”

Emil blinked, tried to shake the tiredness off and focus on the person who was talking to them. It was an older man, around 60 years, with tiny glasses, lots of wrinkles and carefully combed white hair.

”Mikkel radioed me yesterday and told me you were coming”, the man held his hand out and Emil shook it. ”I'm Egil. And you are?”

”Emil, that's Lalli”, Emil nodded in Lalli's direction.

Egil let go of Emil's hand, held it out towards Lalli, but Lalli didn't take it.

”Ah, yes, Mikkel told me you were a peculiar one, I can see what he meant.”

Lalli slid down from the horse and Emil followed him, almost lost his balance, but Lalli's hands caught him and held him up. Egil pushed his glasses up and looked at Emil.

”You don't look very well. Come on in, I'll tell Thea to take care of the horse.”

Emil pulled free from Lalli's grip, folded the blanket and put it back in the saddle bag. They followed Egil to the house, which was a lot smaller than the one on the Madsen farm. Egil told them to make themselves comfortable and Emil sank down in the armchair closest to the fireplace. Lalli sat down on the carpet infront of him, looked at him, and Emil leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. Someone shook his shoulder and he opened his eyes again, looked at a woman around his age with brown, curly hair.

”Sorry to wake you up, but you should eat.”

Emil blinked, straightened up in the chair. A blanket slid off him and landed on the floor and he looked at it.

”I fell asleep, didn't I? I'm sorry.”

”It's nothing to worry about”, she held a bowl out to him. ”I made some soup for you. I know when I'm sick that's the only thing I can eat.”

”Thanks”, Emil accepted the bowl. ”I'm sorry about coming here like this.”

She shook her head.

”We don't mind, just take care and feel better soon.”

She got up, told Lalli dinner would be ready in half an hour. Emil smiled at the Lalli's confused look and translated it for him, explained for the woman that Lalli didn't understand Danish and she smiled.

”He's good at making himself understood in other ways”, she said. ”You have a good friend there.”

”I know”, Emil smiled. ”Oh, wait, I'm sorry, I didn't get your name.”

”I'm Thea, Egil's daughter. Make sure you eat up, you need the energy.”

She left again, Lalli got up from tha floor and put the blanket over Emil's legs again. Emil protested slightly, but Lalli gave him one of the typical Lalli-glances and Emil stopped trying to stop him and ate the soup instead. Lalli kept watching him in silence, and when he was done the other took the bowl and disappeared. Emil looked at the fire, pulled the blanket higher and closed his eyes again.

”Sleeping?” he heard after a while. Lalli's voice and he shook his head.

”Resting my eyes.”

A cold hand was placed on his forehead and Emil opened an eye, looked at Lalli. Lalli was frowning and Emil patted his arm.

”Fever”, Lalli said.

”Yeah, figured that out already. I didn't mean to destroy our vacation.”

”Not destroyed”, Lalli sat down on the floor again. ”Just a break from adventures. You're very hot.”

”I'm always hot”, Emil smiled, ”it's nothing to worry about. I'm sure I'll be up and running again tomorrow.”

Emil slipped into Swedish and Lalli looked confused.

”Maybe so, but I'll be keeping you here a couple of days”, Egil said. ”Thea is insisting and I agree with her.” Emil made a move to protest, but Egil shook his head. ”It's not just for you're sake, the Madsen family are close friends to us and since they're expecting I don't want to risk Maiken or the child to catch anything.”

”Has it arrived already?”

”Not yet, but Michael left to find a midwife this morning, so any day now.”

Emil sank back into the armchair and agreed to staying for a couple of days. Egil sat down in the couch and was soon joined by Thea, who told Emil and Lalli that the guestroom had been prepared if they were tired. Emil thanked her, asked Lalli what he wanted to do, but since Lalli wasn't tired yet they stayed in the living room. Thea sat down in the couch next to her father and picked up a piece of clothing she was working on. Egil told them a little about when he and Mikkel had met in the military, and Emil tried to keep up, tried to include Lalli in what they were saying, but after only a few minutes he noticed Lalli looking strangely at him and he realized he was mixing up words. He leaned back, closed his eyes and apologized to Egil. Egil assured him it was no problem, they could talk more the next day when Emil was feeling better.

Egil took out a piece of wood he was working on and Lalli moved over to see what he was doing. Emil listened as Egil slowly and clearly explained it to Lalli, and his voice blended with the sound of the fire and Emil fell asleep again. The sounds of the fire found the way into Emil's dreams and he was back five years in time. People were yelling orders around him, but his eyes were glued to the building they had gathered around. As the first order to throw the grenades echoed around him he started rushing towards it. Two seconds after he entered the building he heard screams from the second floor and he rushed to the stair, took four steps at the time. Fire was already spreading, but he could see a man in the middle of the flames and he rushed into them without thinking, tried to grab him, but he was panicked and resisted. The man managed to hit one of the fuel cans Emil carried, drenching Emil's coat in the fluid. Fire caught the man, made him panic even more and Emil threw his arms around the other, dragged him down the stairs.

By now the fire was everywhere, Emil's coat was getting hotter, caught fire, but he didn't let go of the other, even though he had gotten limp. Emil was sweating, coughing and he could hardly see through the smoke. He managed to find the door, fell to the ground. Voices was calling for him, tugging at the person he was holding, but he was unable to let go.

”Emil.”

Emil had to save him. Voices said he was too late, but it couldn't be, it couldn't. Hands were pulling at him, at his clothes and pain surged through his body, he started shivering.

”Emil, wake up.”

Emil shook his head, felt someone shaking him and he shook his head again, blinked. Lalli was sitting on the armrest, shaking him with one hand and tried to detangle him from the blanket with the other. Egil and Thea was standing behind him and Emil closed his eyes again. A wet cloth was placed over his forehead, carefully wiped the sweat of his face. He tried to focus on Lalli's voice, grabbed his shoulder and hugged it. Lalli continued talking to him, tried to pull him back into the room and Emil coughed, still saw the flames towering around him.

”I think”, he said when he was able to breathe calmly again, ”I think I want to go to bed...”

”I'll show you to the room.”

Thea's voice. Emil was safe, there was no fire, no one was dying. He opened his eyes, looked at Lalli and then at Thea and nodded. Lalli helped him up, held his arm to stop him from stumbling. Thea gestured for them to follow her and Lalli said good night to Egil before leading Emil after the woman. She showed them the door, Emil sat down on the bed, leaned against the wall.

”Just call me if you need anything”, Thea said.

Emil heard Lalli answer her, couldn't make out what he was saying, and then the door closed. Emil looked around, couldn't see Lalli and felt panic washing over him. A minute later the door opened again and Lalli came inside, sat down on the bed next to Emil. He started pulling at Emil's clothes and Emil tried to pull away.

”You're clothes are drenched, you need to change.”

Emil placed a hand over his chest, shook his head and Lalli put the bundle of fabric he was holding on the bed, crouched infront of Emil.

”What did you dream?”

”There was fire...” Emil mumbled. ”I couldn't... It was my fault, I...”

”Emil”, Lalli placed his hands on Emil's knees. ”It was a dream. You need to sleep. Let's get you out of those clothes.”

”I killed him.”

”It was a dream. Please, Emil.”

Emil's hand fell down and Lalli got up again, helped Emil out of his clothes. Emil's hand traced over the burnmarks, and Lalli grabbed it, pulled Emil's pyjamas over his arms, his head. He sat down next to Emil, gently forced him to lay down, using Lalli's legs as pillow. He wrapped a couple of blankets over Emil, pulled his fingers through Emil's hair and Emil closed his eyes. Lalli was in his sanctuary when he fell asleep.

 


	15. Chapter 15

Emil and Lalli stayed at Egil's farm for another three days. Lalli learned to recognize some Danish words during the first day when Emil was still feverish and tired, but when Emil was feeling better he trusted the other to translate for him. Emil was different from Tuuri, tried to translate everything so Lalli could feel like a part of the conversation, and not just when someone needed Lalli to do something. Lalli even tried to take part in the conversation, but Emil always noticed when he was losing interest in it.

”Don't feel like you have to say anything”, Emil said, ”I can talk for both of us.”

Lalli kept a close eye on Emil while they stayed on the farm, determined not to let him get so sick again. Emil laughed nervously every time he noticed Lalli staring.

On the fourth day they left. Egil had told them Maiken had given birth to a girl the day before and since Emil was feeling well again they didn't see any reason to linger any longer. Emil wanted to see the baby and offer his help during their stay. Lalli didn't come with any objections, he was happy with following Emil. Lalli took the reins during the way back to Mikkel, even though Emil protested. It took them three hours to reach the farm and Lalli couldn't spot anyone. He slid down the horse, offered Emil his help, but the Swede rejected.

”I'm not sick any longer, Lalli, you don't have to worry about me breaking.”

Lalli frowned, but didn't say anything. It wasn't just the fever that had gotten him worried about the other, it was the dreams he didn't want to talk about and how he looked when he woke up from them. He had even gone to Emil's sanctuary, tried to get the other to talk there, but it hadn't worked. Whatever was going through his friends mind was hurting him badly and Lalli understood his need to shut it away, but knew it wouldn't help him. Emil didn't listen.

Lalli followed Emil to the house, and he knocked the door quietly, opened it. Mikkel, Malthe and Michael was sitting in the living room, playing a game of cards. Mikkel smiled at them when he saw them.

”We almost missed you around here! How are you?”

”Great”, Emil answered and sat down by the table. ”How is Maiken?”

”Tired, but happy”, Michael answered.

Lalli leaned against the wall, watched them interact. Emil tried to get him to sit down by the table as well, but he shook his head. He could see the other better from his position by the wall and maybe by observing him he could figure out what was bothering Emil. Emil laughed with the others, acted just like normal and Lalli almost convinced himself that he was being over-protective, but then he noticed Emil pulling away if someone came too close to his arms, his face scrunched up in pain for a microsecond if anyone touched him.

It continued for a few days, Emil avoided Lalli's questions, Lalli kept his eyes on Emil and the Madsen-family didn't notice it because Emil kept his mask up while interacting with them, only letting it fall in his dreams. One day after lunch Lalli followed Emil and Malthe outside to feed the animals while Mikkel cleaned the house and prepared dinner, and Michael took care of his wife. Emil moved slower than Lalli knew he could, and a couple of times he caught the other staring into the distance.

”Emil...” Lalli started one of those times.

Emil twitched, noticed Lalli and smiled.

”Hi Lalli. How are you? You've been keeping away these last days...”

Lalli stopped, looked at Emil and shook his head.

”Me? What about you?” He grabbed Emil's arm and Emil flinched slightly. ”We promised to talk, why are you hiding?”

”I'm not... I don't... What do you mean?”

”You know. I'll come this night, and then we talk.”

Emil continued working for a while and Lalli looked at him, crossed his arms over his chest. After a few minutes Emil stopped, nodded, and then went back to work. Lalli watched him for a few moments, then went back to work himself. Mikkel called them inside for dinner, and then the whole family gathered in the living room. Emil entertained the new-born, to allow Maiken to do other things. Lalli sat next to Emil, carved a toy out of a piece of wood and the baby watched him working. As the sun went down they got ready for bed, Lalli slid down under the bed Emil was sleeping in and woke up in his sanctuary.

Onni was there. The older man had his arms crossed over his chest, stared at Lalli and Lalli looked away, tried to figure out what to do. Onni came closer.

”We need to talk.”

”I don't have time.”

”That's what we need to talk about.”

Lalli cursed silently, Onni had found out.

”Tomorrow”, Lalli said. ”I already promised.”

”I can't let you, it's forbidden, you know that. What if the gods find out?”

”I'll risk it.”

The two stared at each other, Lalli started walking to the barrier, but Onni grabbed him.

”I won't let you, it's dangerous out there.”

”Don't get in my way.”

”I'm your  _teacher_ , Lalli. I'm stronger than you.”

Lalli looked away, then looked at Onni again.

”You used to be. But I have something you'll never get.”

Onni let go of Lalli, took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest. After a few minutes Onni looked away and Lalli walked past him, stopped by the barrier.

”We'll talk tomorrow.”

With that he left the sanctuary.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Emil woke up in the dreamworld, sat up. Lalli wasn't there yet, so he walked around a bit, petted the two horses, looked curiously at the chickens he hadn't seen before. He continued walking, it felt like the sanctuary had gotten even bigger. He saw some squirrels playing in the trees, a couple more horses in a small clearing in the trees. He was certain he had seen them in Nexø.

”Can this place get any bigger?”

Emil turned around at the voice, saw Lalli coming into the field. He looked around, considered hiding until Lalli gave up and left, but Lalli looked up, saw him and ran over to him. Emil looked at the ground.

”Onni was there”, Lalli said when he came up to Emil. ”Sit.”

Emil sat down, leaned against the tree behind him but winced and decided not to lean against anything. Lalli started pulling at his clothes and Emil took hold of them, tried to move away. Lalli glared at him, the gaze cut into Emil's mind and he let his arms fall. Lalli wrinkled his nose when he finally got the tunic off Emil. Emil pulled his knees to his chest, tried to hide behind them, but the damage was already done. He leaned his head down, his shoulders shook as tears made their way to his eyes, fell over the burnt flesh. Lalli placed a hand on Emil's knee and Emil froze.

”Tell me.”

”I already did. It was an accident.”

”You told me like someone who had moved on. This”, Lalli pressed Emil's legs down and gestured at the other's torso, ”is someone who's still hurting.”

Emil looked at his chest, at the burnmarks that had been scarred, but now were fresh again. He looked at Lalli, then moved his gaze to his own hands. Then, he started talking. He told Lalli about the day before the accident, how he had talked with a couple of the new recruits about their mission in Denmark, how they got the idea that they should take it upon themselves to loot buildings for books before they burned them to the ground. How Emil had tried to talk them out of it and still had seen one of them run into the building the next day. Emil hadn't been able to move, cleansers was gathering around him, flamethrowers and grenades ready. Then, just as they threw the grenades, Emil had rushed inside.

Emil finished the story and Lalli looked at him, held the tunic towards him, and Emil took it, winced as he let it fall into place again. Lalli moved, sat down next to Emil. Emil looked at his hands, looked at the hens running infront of him.

”It wasn't your fault”, Lalli said after a while.

”If I hadn't...”

”No. I know it feels like that, but... It's not your fault. The others didn't do it, right?”

Emil shook his head. Lalli leaned against the tree.

”See, if it was your fault, they'd all have gone and only because you outright told them to. But why”, Lalli looked at Emil, ”did it start hurting again?”

”I think... it never stopped.” Emil looked at Lalli. ”You've changed.”

Lalli frowned slightly, looked at his feet.

”I learned something.”

Emil waited for Lalli to elaborate his answer, but it didn't happen.

” _What_ did you learn?”

”I'm strong.”

”You've always been.”

”You're strong too. But there's a difference between being and knowing.”

Emil pondered for a while about what Lalli meant, but gave up. He looked at the leaves above them.

”What do we do about Onni?”

”I'll explain. He won't like it, but can't decide over me, not anymore.”

They sat in silence, looked at the animals on the field. Emil liked these quiet dreams, they were calming, but this time worry nagged the back of his mind. After a while he turned to Lalli.

”Maybe you should leave, I don't want you two fighting because of me.”

”Damage done already. You need me more. I'm staying.”

”Thanks. Uh, Lalli... How did you know?”

”You're easy to read. Only thing you haven't talked to me about.” He looked at Emil. ”The flinching.”

”Flinching?”

Lalli moved his hand closer to Emil's arm and Emil instinctively moved away, then blinked.

”I see...”

”Talk to me. You need it.”

”Do you promise to tell me what happens with Onni?”

Lalli nodded and Emil let out a sigh, started talking. He avoided the subject as much as he could, stumbled into it from time to time, but talking about it brought out memories he wasn't ready to face. Lalli let him talk, they kept going the whole night, until Mikkel woke them up. They kept talking the next night. Emil felt better after it, stopped flinching, and Lalli told him about the conversation with Onni. Onni hadn't been happy, but Lalli said he had calmly explained everything for the other. Emil knew it meant that they had had a mage battle.

During the days Emil and Lalli helped out on the farm and took short trips on two of Mikkel's horses, and during the nights Emil continued talking to Lalli. It continued like that for a week, Emil enjoyed life on the farm, but was starting to miss the city-life, and then their two weeks on Denmark were over.

 


	17. Chapter 17

Mikkel and Michael followed Emil and Lalli to the boat, to make sure they got on the right ship. Mikkel said there wouldn't be any quarantine to enter Dalsnes, but Iceland was still strict on the quarantine rules. Emil discussed it with Lalli and decided they would skip Iceland this year. Then the two of them was off. Mikkel waved after them from the harbour and Michael put his arm over Mikkel's shoulder.

”You miss travelling, don't you?”

”I do miss it, yeah.”

”You know, there's not much to do with winter here, and since Malthe is staying for a while you could take some time off. Go to Norway and meet your old captain or something.”

”I am too old for travelling.”

”You're too old for everything, live a little!”

”Are you perhaps trying to live through me?” Mikkel smiled at his brother. ”Do not worry, I am quite content with life on the farm, I have had more adventures than anyone my age should have lived through.”

”Yeah”, Michael smiled. ”I've heard about the list of things Mikkel Madsen is not allowed to do. Is even half of the things on there true?”

”I am not going to answer that question, I do like keeping the mystery alive.”

They started walking away from the harbour, Michael placed his hands behind his head and looked at the sky.

”So, those 'Chinaboxes' from last month...”

”I am not going to answer that.”

”Admiral Olsen also said pizzaboxes are forbidden.”

”You can not hide much troll in a pizzabox though, it is an unnecessary saftety rule from him.”

They stopped by the grocery store, exchanged some words with the owner and a few other people they knew. After having gotten the groceries they hurried back home, Michael took care of the groceries and Mikkel settled down in the living room. He found the toy Lalli had carved under the table and picked it up, looked at it. Maiken smiled at him.

”It was nice having them here.”

”Indeed, this place have not been this lively since...” Mikkel fell quiet.

Maiken sat down next to him, placed a hand on his knee.

”I know, Mikkel.”

Mikkel leaned back, gave the toy to Maiken and looked into the ceiling. He let out a sigh and massaged his forehead. Maiken rested her head against his shoulder.

”I'm here, Mikkel. Michael too. And with the kids we'll soon have this place filled again. Maybe you should get a couple yourself.”

”I am afraid I would not make a very good father.”

”Well, you're going to have to make a good uncle.”

”I do believe I am already succeeding at that, she still is not chewing any trollclaw or anything.”

”Well, do you have any idea about where your  _other_ niece is?”

Mikkel tensed up a little.

”Not here?” he tried.

”I'll give you half a point for that. He's with my brother, they'll be stopping by next week.”

”Emil would have liked him.”

”I'm certain he would. Maybe they'll meet later.”

Michael came into the living room, looked at them.

”You making up plans without me?”

”Not exactly”, Mikkel answered and Michael tilted his head.

”Happy about everything being back to normal?”

”What if I told you I was?”

”Little brother, I can see right through you, I know you're not. They made you forget, didn't they?”

Mikkel got up from the couch, went up to Michael.

”I'll never forget.”

Michael placed a hand on his shoulder.

”But they softened the pain. Go, take the boat.”

Mikkel pulled free from Michaels grip.

”Even if I wanted to, we can't afford it.”

He walked past his brother, put his boots on and left the building. Malthe came out from the barn as Mikkel exited the house, waved at him, but Mikkel ignored him, heading back towards the town. He walked along the outskirts of it, even though it was a detour, reach the cemetery and walked along the rows of graves, like he had done so many times before. He knew the road by heart and didn't need to look at the names on the stones to find the one he was searching for, and he sank down on the ground infront of it.

”It has been a busy couple of week”, he said. ”We got guests, Emil and Lalli came over for a visit. I have told you about them. Maiken gave birth to a baby girl. She has gotten her mother's looks, thankfully.”

He fell quiet for a while, looked at the wiltering flowers in the earth around the Madsen family-grave.

”I will see if I can find you some winter-plants. Maybe even a black hellebore, would you like that?”

The ground was getting cold and Mikkel got up, let out a sigh.

”I miss you. I'm sorry I couldn't keep you alive... I'm not a very good doctor, am I?”

He straightened up, looked around in hopes that no one had heard him slip into such common language. The cemetery was empty and he relaxed again.

”I don't know what to do. It gets hard sometimes.”

Mikkel closed his eyes, allowed himself to remember the battle for Denmark for five excruciating seconds, then opened his eyes again.

”I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Mille... I'll come by later with some flowers, okay?”

He left the cemetery, started walking towards the farm. Half-way there he turned and headed to the harbour.

 


	18. Chapter 18

Snow piled up in Emil's hair as he watched the boat pull into the Dalsnes harbour. Lalli was hiding under deck, still a bit sea sick even after five days on the boat. Passengers were gathering on the deck as they got closer and when the boat finally pulled into port Emil felt Lalli tug at his sleeve. He led the other ashore and they looked around in the harbour.

The harbour was small, almost like Keuruu's except a little bigger. There weren't many people leaving the boat, only ten, and they disappeared quickly. Emil scratched his head, looked around. Lalli looked at him.

”You know where they are?”

”No idea”, Emil answered. ”I kind of hoped we'd get lucky again. Think we should find a hotel and start searching tomorrow?”

Lalli shrugged and Emil laughed.

”You're being your usual helpful safe. Let's find a hotel, there's still a month until I have to be back home. How much time did you get off?”

”Enough.”

”Are you tired of conversing with people?” Emil asked, then shrugged. ”Never mind, let's ask around for a hotel.”

He looked around, but felt slightly intimidated by all the tall people. Most of the people in Dalsnes seemed to be around Sigrun's lenght, as he remembered it, and he felt very short standing in the middle of them.

”You think I should invest in some high-heeled shoes?” he asked as he led Lalli away from the harbour, towards what seemed to be the town-center. Lalli raised an eyebrow, but didn't answer, and Emil laughed nervously. ”Yeah, I guess it wouldn't actually make much of a difference.”

They found a map closer to the town, and Emil looked at it, translated for Lalli and managed to figure out where the hotel was. Lalli led the way, still better at reading maps than Emil, and Emil followed him, looked around as they walked. Just like most other towns Dalsnes was protected by a wall, but there were fewer guard towers, as far as Emil could see, and he assumed the mountains provided most of the protection. Lalli stopped outside a building, motioned for Emil to go in first, and Emil did so.

The room was small, had a desk behind which a middle-aged man was standing and Emil greeted him, said he needed a room for a couple of nights. They got a room on the second floor, Emil took care of the paying and noticed Lalli blushing just slightly. He asked the man if he knew where they could find Sigrun Eide and the man shrugged, told them she was everywhere all the time. He also said they could try her family's house and told them how to get there. Emil thanked the man, then led Lalli up the stairs to their room. Lalli sat down in the window and Emil put his backpack on one of the beds, sat down next to it. He looked around while waiting for Lalli to say something.

”...I'm sorry.”

Emil smiled, he had expected those words.

”Stop worry about it. I told you, I want to treat you. I don't have much else to waste money on anyway.”

”...How does it feel?”

Emil wasn't entierly sure what Lalli was asking about, considering everything they had talked about the last week and a half. Lalli didn't look at him, so he couldn't read anything in the other's face, and in the end he let out a sigh.

”How does what feel?”

”To have so much money you can't get rid of it.”

Emil laughed, leaned against the window sill.

”I could get rid of it if I wanted”, he said. ”Get a bigger flat, buy more stuff, start living more like a rich person. Ten years ago I would have done just that. Maybe even five years ago. Nowadays I just don't see the need to.”

”What changed?”

Emil frowned slightly, pressed a hand against his chest.

”...lots of things.”

Lalli grabbed his hand, pulled it away and Emil let it fall to his side again. Lalli went back to looking out of the window and Emil turned around, tried to see what the other found interesting out there.

”We all make our choices, Lalli. I accepted the promotions, not because the money but because it felt  _right_ for me. You stayed where you were because that made  _you_ the happiest. There is no shame in either decision.”

”Know that. Still...”

”Yeah, I'd probably feel the same.”

Silence fell. Emil looked at the people walking by, Lalli looked at the sky. Emil started tapping his fingers at the window sill after a few minutes, then pulled away.

”I'm sorry, Lalli, I need people. Will you be okay on your own?”

Lalli nodded and Emil smiled at his friend.

”I'll try not to stay out for long, you take care in the meanwhile. Oh, and please don't worry about the money issue any more, okay? I've told you I'm happy to pay for both of us.”

Lalli waved and Emil laughed, put his coat on again and left the hotel. It was still snowing and he picked up some snow, made a snowball and let it fall to the ground. Winter hadn't started when he left Östersund, and he wondered if it had started yet, if his cousins had gotten home or if they were still busy with their work. Anna was probably home, her nose buried in books, hushing Siv and Torbjörn whenever they got too loud. He wondered if his parents missed him, he hadn't met up with them very much the last years. He promised himself to invite them over for dinner when he came home.

He reached the busiest part of town, stopped by a restaurant to get some food. There wasn't much for tourists to see there, but he ended up in a conversation with a couple of Norwegians who had worked with his team a few years earlier. One of them was working under Sigrun now and he told Emil that she had gotten back to town just one week earlier, dragging that weird foreign mage along.

”He's so different from all the other mages we've worked with, but as long as he gets the work done I'm not complaining.”

”...Is his name Reynir?” Emil asked.

”Yes, how did you know?”

”Worked with him ten years ago. Any idea where I can find them?”

The two shrugged.

”I think she still lives with her parents in the large building, doesn't she?” the older one said.

”Probably”, the other answered and turned to Emil. ”You could start there at least. Want us to show you the way?”

”Thanks for the offer, but my friend and I are using today to collect ourselves after the trip. I'm certain I'll be able to find it tomorrow.”

Emil said goodbye to them, continued walking around the town for a bit. He reached the large wall and followed it, just to see how large it was, stopped by the grocery store and found some fruits he hadn't seen before, all imported from Iceland, and he bought some for himself. He found a bakery and thought about getting some cookies for Lalli, but they didn't have any there and he went back to the hotell. Lalli was still sitting in the window and Emil placed the fruit on the bed and went up to the window. Lalli smiled at him.

”Reynir is here.”

”I know, a pair of troll hunters told me. How did you know?”

”Magespace”, Lalli answered and Emil didn't ask for more details. ”Says he'll convince Sigrun to come tomorrow.”

Lalli looked at Emil, tilted his head, and Emil looked away, at the snow that was falling even faster now. Lalli poked him.

”Feel better after walk?”

”I do. You? Got enough strenght back to go out for dinner, or do you want me to pick something up?”

”Which you want?”

”I don't mind either. This is your vacation too, you know, I'm not going to call all the shots.”

Lalli sat quiet and Emil waited, there was no reason to stress the other.

”We eat here today. Out tomorrow. Not hungry yet though.”

Emil gestured out the window.

”Will be hard to get anywhere for the moment anyway. I bought some fruit though, do you want some?”

Lalli jumped down from the window, looked into the bag and wrinkled his nose before sitting down on the bed. Emil sat down as well, leaned against the wall and picked up a yellow, oblong, slightly curved fruit and looked at it.

”Gulebøj”, he said, smiling. Lalli tilted his head and Emil laughed. ”Swedes say that's the Norwegian name for this fruit”, he started peeling it, ”but really they call it banana as well. Never had one.”

He started eating it, Lalli studied him and he tried not to react to the taste.

”...It's a bit woody”, he commented after a while.

Lalli snorted and looked away, and Emil laughed, looked into the bag again. He got a small, orange fruit out of it and poked Lalli's shoulder.

”Mandarin.”

Lalli frowned, then a slight smile formed on his lips.

”Lemon that killed itself.” Lalli's smile widened. ”Kung Fu.”

”Yeah”, Emil blushed, ”not my brightest moment.”

He put the mandarin back into the bag and looked out the window again. The snowfall had lightened up and he was able to make out the vague shapes of buildings outside the hotel. The two sat in silence for a while, but after ten minutes Emil got up again, stretched.

”I'm heading out again. What do you want for dinner?”

”Something easy.”

”I'll see what I can find.”

Emil put his coat on again, waved to Lalli and left the hotel. He lifted his arm to shield his face from the snow and took another walk around the town. He stopped by a store, got two boxes with smoked cod and potatoes before returning to the hotel. Lalli looked disapprovingly at it, but Emil shrugged.

”You said something easy. I couldn't find anything other than fish anyway.”

Lalli poked at the cod with the fork, looked at Emil. Emil let out a sigh.

”You get to chose where we eat tomorrow, okay?”

Lalli nodded and started eating. Emil looked at him for a while, then started eating as well. He tried talking about the weather during dinner, but Lalli wasn't very responsive and Emil gave up on that. He tried discussing what they'd do the next day, but Lalli still wasn't responding so Emil fell quiet. Lalli kept his eyes at the window, and Emil tried to see what his friend was looking at, but was unable to. After dinner he took out his book, leaned towards the wall to read, and Lalli took place in the window again.

Emil was unable to focus on the book, and his eyes moved to Lalli every minute. After half an hour of struggling with his focus he put the book down, got up and put a blanket over Lalli.

”Still upset about the food?”

Lalli shook his head.

”It's nothing.”

”Is this revenge for when I didn't want to talk?”

Lalli shook his head, stood up. The blanket fell to the floor and Lalli stepped over it, laid down in the bed and Emil picked up the blanket again, looked at Lalli.

”You're sleeping in the bed tonight?”

Lalli turned his back towards Emil, rolled up under the cover and closed his eyes. Emil sat down on the edge of Lalli's bed.

”Are you angry at me?”

Once again Lalli shook his head. Emil let out a sigh and stood back up.

”Alright then, sleep well. Wake me up if you need anything.”

He changed out of his clothes, put on his pyjamas and sank down in his own bed. He looked at the pile that was Lalli for a while, yawned and closed his eyes. Maybe he'd meet the other in the dreamworld.

 


	19. Chapter 19

No Lalli. Emil petted one of the horses, looked towards the barrier. Lalli had said he wasn't allowed to go out there. It wasn't safe. But Lalli had been behaving weirdly during the evening and Emil worried. He let out a sigh and leaned against a tree, kept his eyes towards the barriers. Chickens ran past him, a couple of deers, he noticed one of the lynxes slowly sneaking by him. Lalli didn't appear and he went closer to the barrier, peaked through it. It wasn't very visible, he could only guess where it actually was, so he kept a couple of meters away from where it looked like his sanctuary ended. A pony followed him, his spirit companion, but he ignored it.

”You shouldn't wander”, it said after a while.

Emil looked at the horse, decided he must be hearing things, and started walking again, slowly moving closer to the barrier.

”It isn't safe out there.”

Emil stopped again, looked towards the horse once more.

”...Can you talk?”

”Only when necessary. I know what you're thinking, you should stay in here. You can talk with your friend when you wake up.”

”Mhm...”

Emil started walking again, the horse still following him.

”Do you have a name or something?”

No answer. Emil guessed it wasn't a necessary question.

”Do you mind if I give you one?”

Still no answer. Emil stopped and looked out through the barrier. It was dark out there, he could see water and some movement. He continued walking again.

”What about Sleipnir?”

The horse shook its head and Emil laughed.

”Yeah, no, I didn't really like it either. Okay, how about...” Emil remembered Kissekatt and shook his head. ”I'm not very good at names, I'll just call you Toto.”

He swore the horse laughed, but at least it didn't protest. They walked in silence for a while.

”So, could you teach me more about this place?”

No answer and Emil let out a sigh.

”I guess not since I'm not supposed to be here even. Am I a mage now?”

Toto stopped, and Emil stopped as well, looked at the horse. It stared at him, then shook its head. Emil shrugged.

”Didn't think so. Anyway...”

He stepped through the barrier. A shiver ran down his back and he held his breath, expected to get attacked. Nothing happened and he opened his eyes again. Toto glared at him, and he waved towards it, smiled.

”No danger! Where's Lalli?”

Toto turned his back towards Emil and Emil looked after it, stumped, and then turned back around, started walking. He kept to the rocks, avoiding the water, until he spotted something that looked like the forest Lalli had showed him in Keuruu. He couldn't see the bottom and got ready to fall into the water as he stepped out into it, but it was solid under his feet and he let out a sigh of relief, hurried over the water and stopped outside the Finn's barrier. He could see Lalli on a raft inside it and carefully walked through the barrier. Lalli moved quickly, his eyes glowing, his hands glowing, and he stopped just a couple centimeters from Emil.

”...Emil?”

Lalli took a step back, sank down to the ground and Emil smiled slightly.

”Hi?”

”No. No, no, no. You should not be here.”

”I was worried about you!”

”What if you had gotten attacked?!”

”Nothing happened, relax.”

Emil kneeled infront of Lalli.

”How are you? I know you don't like me poking my nose into your business, but you behaved so... off. It worried me.”

”Is nothing.”

Emil poked Lalli's forehead.

”I can tell when you're lying.”

He frowned.

”Lalli, do you have a _fever_?”

Lalli looked away.

”...no.”

Emil smiled, stood up again, pulled Lalli to his feet and led him back to the raft.

”You should have just told me you weren't feeling good. I thought you were upset with me or something.”

”Didn't want to destroy vacation.”

”Did I destroy the vacation?”

Emil pulled Lalli close, wrapped his arms around him.

”You're shivering.”

”Sorry. You didn't destroy anything.”

”Nothing to apologise for. Either way, if me getting sick is no problem, then you getting sick isn't a problem either. Okay?”

Lalli nodded, burrowed into Emil's arms and closed his eyes.

”You still shouldn't have gone here, could have talked in morning.”

”Yeah, Toto said the same thing.”

”Toto is smart.”

Lalli had almost nodded off, but straighened up again after a couple of minutes.

”...Who's Toto?”

”Oh, my spirit-thing. I named it Toto, it felt fitting.”

Lalli didn't answer, just relaxed again.

”You still shouldn't be here, Onni might come.”

”I'll leave if that's really what you want.”

Lalli grabbed Emil's hand, looked away.

”...stay.”

”I will.”

Lalli laid down, rested his head on Emil's legs and Emil placed one hand on Lalli's arm, supported himself with the other.

”Can you show me what's out there some day?”

Lalli shook his head.

”Never go there again, Emil. Promise.”

Emil wanted to protest, wanted to see more of the dreamworld.

”On one condition.”

Lalli frowned, waited.

”Tell me more about what's out there, and the dreamworld.”

”Told you much.”

”I still feel like I don't understand it all that well.”

”Not today. Later.”

”Okay. I promise not to go investigating the Dreamworld again.”

Lalli smiled, yawned and closed his eyes.

”Thank you.”

”I'll stay here until we wake up.”

Lalli nodded, yawned again and slowly started falling into a deeper sleep. Emil looked at the surroundings, splashed the water a little. He spotted a couple of fishes in the water beneath the raft, decided to ask Lalli about them later. He kicked off his shoes, lowered his feet into the water. It was chilly, but he was pretty sure he wouldn't lose his feet from getting a little cold within a dream. He didn't know how much time had past when Lalli opened his eyes, slowly disappeared and Emil also opened his eyes.

”Morning”, he smiled towards Lalli.

Lalli rubbed his eyes, yawned and Emil sat up.

”Feel any better?”

Lalli nodded, sat up and leaned against the wall and Emil stood up, but he couldn't feel his feet touch the floor and fell over.

 


	20. Chapter 20

Lalli's eyes widened as Emil fell face-first to the floor. He quickly got up from the bed, dizzyness clouded his eyes, but he hurried to his friend, sank down on the floor next to him.

”Emil? Emil, are you okay?”

”I can't... I can't feel my feet.”

Emil's voice was muffled, his face hidden in the carpet and Lalli patted his back, moved towards Emil's legs and let his hands trace along Emil's calves, down to his feet. They were icy to touch and Lalli shivered slightly, hoped it only was the fever making him misjudge Emil's bodyheat. Emil turned his head, looked at Lalli.

”...Are my feet still attatched?”

”Just frozen. You had them against the window the whole night?”

”I don't think so? I'm not gonna need to amputate them, am I?”

Lalli started massaging Emil's calves to get the blood flowing again.

”No, just need to get blood back. Come on, back to bed.”

Emil sat up and Lalli put an arm around his waist, helped drag him back into the bed. He wrapped a blanket around Emil's feet and continued massaging his calves. Emil looked at him, tilted his head a little.

”How are you feeling? Any better?”

Lalli nodded, looked at Emil.

”You did anything in there?”

Emil looked confused for a second, then shook his head.

”I just acted pillow.”

Lalli frowned, looked sternly at Emil and Emil blushed slightly.

”I may have dipped them into the water. Was that wrong? It's just a dream, so it shouldn't matter, right?”

”Not really dream, can still affect you. It's why I tell you to stay.”

Emil leaned closer to Lalli, laid a hand against his forehead.

”You still have a fever. What do you want to do about today?”

Lalli hesitated, stopped massaging Emil and looked at his knees.

”Too late to cancel”, he said after a while. ”I'll come along to meet them.”

”Tell me if you feel worse.”

”Will. Better now?”

Emil moved his feet, his face scrunched up a little and Lalli looked at him.

”Hurts?”

”Just the blood coming back. When are they coming?”

”Don't know.”

”I should probably get ready then.”

Lalli moved and placed himself on top of Emil's legs. Emil wiggled a little under him, then stopped and leaned back.

”I guess not.”

Lalli nodded, reached for the bag Emil had brought the day before and took out an apple which he handed to his friend. Emil looked confused, but accepted it, and Lalli picked up a yellow fruit, looked at it.

”...weird carrot.”

Emil laughed.

”It's not a carrot, didn't I tell you yesterday? Gulebøj. I... don't know the Finnish word, sorry. They grow them in Iceland.”

”Still weird.”

Lalli weighed it in his hands, looked at it and Emil stretched his hand towards Lalli.

”Want me to open it?”

Lalli held it closer and shook his head and Emil laughed, bit his apple while resting his eyes on Lalli. Lalli studied the gulebøj, pulled at it before carefully biting it. It tasted sharp, disgusting and Lalli wrinkled his nose.

”Taste weird.”

”Of course it taste weird, you need to peel it.”

Lalli pulled at the peel, figured out how to open it and tasted the fruit again. He nodded, swallowed and looked at Emil.

”Still taste weird.”

Emil laughed again and Lalli looked at him, tilted his head and slid off Emil's legs.

”Can move soon.”

Emil sat up again, poked Lalli's side.

”How do you know so much?”

”Need some knowledge, dangerous being scout.”

”Do people often freeze out there?”

Lalli looked away, closed his eyes. People died, it happened. It was nothing to think about. He felt Emil studying him and took another bite of the weird fruit.

”Lalli...”

The bed creeked slightly when Emil moved, but Lalli didn't turn to look at his friend, didn't know what to answer to the question he knew would come. The truth, they had promised that, but would Emil understand?

”Lalli, did you freeze out there?”

Lalli shook his head, clenched the hand that wasn't holding the fruit.

”What happened?”

Lalli put the fruit down, studied his hands. Emil was silent, waited, and Lalli took a deep breath.

”Was young, four maybe. First time aware of the dreamworld.”

Lalli smiled slightly, still looked at his hands.

”Looked like it does now.”

”Very safe”, Emil said and Lalli frowned.

”You shouldn't know.”

”I'm sorry.”

Lalli glanced at Emil, noticed him smiling and shook his head.

”I couldn't swim. Fell of the raft. I don't know how long I was in the water, but Onni found me. And grandmother.”

He heard Emil draw a sharp breath, but the other didn't speak, only waited. Lalli scratched his knee.

”They pulled me out, grandmother sent her luonto to...”

Lalli let out a sigh, closed his eyes.

”I woke up. Very cold, family took care of me. I learned.”

Emil leaned forward. Lalli didn't look at him, kept his eyes on his hands. A hand was placed on his shoulder and he tensed up, expected the hand to move, but it didn't.

”I'm sorry. If you... If you need to talk I'm here.”

”I know”, Lalli clenched his hands. ”Can't yet.”

The hand hugged Lalli's shoulder, then disappeard and Lalli looked up when Emil started moving again, watched as he tested his feet. Emil smiled at him.

”They work again, thank you.”

Lalli watched as Emil stood up, tensed up when Emil started removing his shirt. There was noise outside, in the stairs. Noise that was quickly coming closer and Emil didn't seem to notice. Lalli grabbed the blanket and threw it over Emil just as the door opened.

 


	21. Chapter 21

Emil struggled with the blanket over his head when he heard voices. He froze, carefuly pulled the blanket down and held it so it still covered his arms and upper body.

”Sigrun, do you _mind_?”

The tall female red-head grinned at him and moved to punch his shoulder. Emil moved to the side, looked around to find Lalli and saw him in awkward conversation with Reynir.

”Just... give us five minutes to get ready, we'll meet you downstairs.”

”You weren't this prudish in the Silent World”, Sigrun still grinned. ”What happened?”

”Sigrun, _please_. We'll talk later.”

”Fine, as you wish, pretty boy. Come on, Braidy, let's leave the lovers to finish what they were doing.”

” _SIGRUN!_ ”

Emil blushed and his former captain laughed and dragged Reynir back outside. Lalli closed the door, tilted his head and offered Emil a shirt.

”What did she say?”

Emil's blushing increased and he looked away. Lalli moved and placed himself infront of Emil's gaze again and Emil let out a sigh.

”She called us lovers.”

Lalli frowned slightly.

”Why?”

”Because it's Sigrun. And maybe because of the blanket.”

Emil let go of the blanket, accepted the shirt Lalli offered him. He looked at the burnmarks on his chest, placed a hand over them and shook his head.

”Thanks. You saved me a little there.”

”Was nothing.”

Emil pulled the shirt over his head, pulled his fingers through his hair. Lalli smiled, helped Emil fix his hair, but moved away when Emil tried to return the gesture. Emil laughed, gestured at the door and Lalli opened it, followed Emil down to the foyer. Sigrun and Reynir waved at them from one of the couches and they made their way over there, sat down.

”So how's stuff?” Sigrun asked. ”Still killing trolls?”

”Yeah, both of us.”

”You two still working together?”

Emil shook his head.

”They need trolls killed in both Sweden and Finland, you know. I've gotten promoted though, I'm a captain now!”

”Congrats!” she hit Emil's back. ”Braidy here has ben working under me since he finished school. It's been a hassle.”

”Sigrun, I understand Norwegian now”, Reynir smiled.

”Yeah, yeah, you're doing good, keep it up.”

Lalli pulled at Reynir's braid, which had gotten even longer as far as Emil could tell, and wrinkled his nose.

”Your hair is still stupid.”

Reynir laughed.

”Lalli, I don't understand Finnish.”

”He, uh, is amazed that your hair is so long”, Emil said and looked away.

”Anyway”, Sigrun leaned back, ”whatcha wanna do today? Kill some trolls? Hunt a beast? I heard rumours about a moose beast just outside the walls.”

”Haha, no thanks, we kind of want to take it easy today.”

Lalli sank down deeper in the couch, closed his eyes and Emil patted his knee.

”We're just deciding what to do. Any suggestions?”

Lalli shook his head and Sigrun smiled at Emil.

”You've learned gibberish! How's the twig's Swedish?”

”He's working on it. Know any good place for breakfast? We haven't had time to eat.”

”Gulebøj”, Lalli muttered and Sigrun looked curiously at the Finn. Emil scratched his head.

”I, uh, taught him a word in Norwegian.”

”Gulebøj?”

”He didn't like them.”

”What even is a gulebøj?”

”It's svorsk for banana”, Emil said. ”Anyway, breakfast?”

”Yeah, I know the best place for breakfast! Come on, I'll show you!”

Sigrun got up from the couch, hurried towards the door. Reynir was quick at following her and Emil turned to Lalli, explained what was going on before pulling him to his feet. The two of them followed the others out into the Norwegian winter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was the last chapter I had written! I'll see about getting back to this story sometime soon, it is pretty awesome if I'm allowed to say so myself :P


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